The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions had a high-profile matchup on Sunday, September 14, at Ford Field in Detroit, and it turned out to be a lopsided victory for the Lions. Since former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is now heading up the Bears, people thought this game would be close and a thriller, but it turns out that it was only a thriller for those in the Motor City.
The Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears in a 52-21 victory, and it hurt. Following the game, Johnson spoke to the press, and he was obviously upset with his team’s showing, especially since this was their first game against his former team.
But, Johnson has only been working with the Chicago Bears players for a few months, so he needs more time to craft this group. Still, during his chat with the media after the game, Johnson didn’t sugarcoat anything. He was honest and upfront about how short the Bears fell in this matchup and why it hurts so much.
Ben Johnson Talks Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions came into this game more than ready, and they were coming off a big loss to the Green Bay Packers, so they were angry and ready for some redemption. The Bears were also coming off a loss, for them, against the Vikings, but just didn’t make the win happen.
Johnson’s 2-word message after the game was simple but real: “It stinks,” he said.
In full context, Johnson said, “Anytime you lose a game like that, it’s a kick in the teeth. Nothing about that feels good. These guys are hurt; it stinks.”
Johnson added, “I really didn’t even think about that a whole lot. I didn’t interact with those guys (Detroit Lions players) until walking off the field there at the end. We came in focused on winning this ballgame, and we came up way short.”
The Lions had the numbers to pull off the win. As ESPN points out, Lions quarterback Jared Goff finished “with a near perfect passer rating (156.0) while throwing for 334 yards and five touchdowns” and “wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown caught three of the scores.” Elsewhere, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams passed for 207 yards and two touchdowns for Chicago. Bears’ Rome Odunze caught Williams’ scoring passes, and he finished the game with seven catches and 128 yards. Former Lions player D’Andre Swift also rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. So, there were some bright spots for the Bears in this game.
Ben Johnson on Dan Campbell
Also during that postgame presser, Johnson was asked about Campbell and how the coach goes for it on fourth downs.
“What’s he supposed to do? It’s fourth-and-goal, what do you want him to do,” Johnson said when questioned on Campbell’s fourth-down decision. “Yeah he could have kicked the field goal. They don’t kick field goals. They go for it there. He was doing what he’s supposed to do. That’s what he does.”
Kole Noble of A to Z sports added, “Whether the intent was there to run up the score on his former coordinator or not, the reaction should still be the same. The 52-21 loss was a humiliating performance, no question about it.”
So, Johnson is starting the season 0-2 as the head coach of the Chicago Bears. Let’s hope he gets it to 1-2 after the next matchup. He has the smarts to do it, but it’s just about delivering.
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