For the second time this season, it will be the student pitted against the teacher, as former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will face his former club as the head coach of the longtime rival Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field.
The Bears are entering the final week of the campaign with an 11-5 record, having already assured themselves of the top spot in the NFC North Division for the first time since 2018 and ending the two-year reign of the Lions.
Despite their 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17, a victory over the Lions in Week 18 would guarantee the No. 2 overall seed in the NFC for Chicago.
While the Lions have nothing left to play for this season aside from pride, Johnson has made it clear that he and his team do not plan on taking it easy against them with playoff seeding on the line.
When asked about the game plan going into their second matchup of the season against the Lions, Johnson was direct.
“We are playing to win this week,” he said directly.
It’s clear that Johnson will not be giving his former team and boss in Dan Campbell a break. If they ultimately earn the No. 2 seed, they’ll face the Green Bay Packers at home in the NFC wild-card round.
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Bears QB Caleb Williams Wants To “Bring It” Against the Detroit Lions
Second-year Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who is thriving with the former Lions offensive coordinator as his head coach, echoed Johnson’s sentiments in wanting to take down Detroit.
“We always want to try to give ourselves the best chances, you know, obviously on the football field but also just being able to put ourselves in the best positions of being home instead of being away and things like that,” Williams told reporters on Sunday night. “So, we’ll get ready for this game just like we’ll get ready for any game.
“We want to bring it to them and it’s going to be a good game.”
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Dan Campbell Complimented The Effect of Ben Johnson on the Bears
Campbell was asked in a recent interview with 97.1 The Ticket of how he feels about the Bears and their play under Johnson, who was his protege in Detroit during some of the best success that the franchise enjoyed in multiple decades.
“They’ve found a run game, play-action pass, Caleb (Williams)’s playing really well, O-line’s playing really well. Got a run game,” said Campbell. “(D’Andre) Swift’s running well, (Kyle Monangai) 25, he’s a downhill, hard runner, too. Tight end’s playing good, both of them. Really all three of them. So, they’re playing at a high level. They’re doing things well. Much more polished.”
The Lions have already defeated the Bears once this season in their Week 2 matchup following a disappointing setback in Week 1 against the Packers at Lambeau Field. And while the Lions entered the season with legitimate aspirations for a third straight NFC Division title, they’ve been officially dethroned by Johnson and the Bears.
Considering that John Morton, Johnson’s replacement in Detroit as offensive coordinator, was supplanted in play calling duties by Campbell in Week 10, there are more than a few Lions fans who lament that Johnson is now with a fierce division rival.
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