The Detroit Lions are heading into the second game of their 2025-26 season, and those in Detroit are ready to see former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson back in the Motor City. Johnson, of course, is now the head coach for the Chicago Bears, and the two teams go up against each other at Ford Field on Sunday, September 14.
It’s going to be wild to see Johnson and Lions head coach Dan Campbell back at it, and tensions will be high. Both of these teams want to win, especially since both are 0-1 heading into Sunday’s matchup. One of these teams will be 0-2 to start the season after the game, and nobody wants that.
Throughout Johnson’s time with the Lions, he was known for working wonders with Detroit franchise quarterback Jared Goff. Now, Johnson is trying to do the same with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, and he’s already helped improve Williams’ game. But, will it be enough on Sunday. Lions fans hope not.
Ben Johnson Sends Detroit Lions Quarterback Jared Goff a Message
Ahead of Sunday’s game, Johnson used one word to describe Goff, and it was a good one: “resilient.”
“I just know he’s a very resilient individual, one of the most that I’ve been around in the NFL,” Johnson said in a conference on Thursday, September 12. “He’s been to the top, he’s been to the bottom, and he certainly finds a way each week to come back and swing away. So, I know we’ll get the best version to compete against here this week.”
Goff had a solid season in 2024 and still is near the top of many quarterback rankings, although not everyone agrees. In PFF’s tally of the best quarterbacks of 2025, they have Goff on “Tier 3a: Solid starters who have flashed high-end play” and ranked No. 9.
“Goff has piloted one of the NFL’s most productive offenses over the past two seasons, earning an 84.8 passing grade over that span, the seventh-best in the league,” John Kosko states in the May 2025 feature. “We’ll soon find out how much of that success was tied to Ben Johnson, now the Bears’ head coach, but the results speak for themselves: Goff has been a top-10 quarterback over the last two years.”
Jared Goff Beats Out Jalen Hurts
Nick Shook of the NFL has his roster of the best quarterbacks for Week 1, and he has Goff in Tier 2 and No. 11. He’s actually above Jalen Hurts, which is wild. “Jared Goff spent the 2024 season at a well-deserved higher spot in my rankings,” he notes, “but I’m bracing for a dip in production now that Ben Johnson has left for the Chicago sideline.”
In a survey of league executives, coaches and scouts by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler in July, Goff is ranked No. 8. “Goff’s success has come with two of the game’s best playcallers, Sean McVay and now-Bears head coach Ben Johnson,” he states. “Now, he must prove he can do it without them, and his career adaptability suggests he’ll be up to the challenge.”
So, Johnson seems to have respect for Goff going into Sunday’s matchup. Let’s hope we see the best of Goff and this offense to beat their former boss.
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