Detroit Lions fans were jubilant Sunday after the team bounced back in a big way from a blowout loss against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 1, hanging 50-plus on the Chicago Bears in the first game of the season at Ford Field.
Some Lions fans displayed their emotions, in part, by joining in an expletive-laced chant directed toward Bears head coach Ben Johnson who spent the previous three years as the offensive coordinator in Detroit.
“And now a ‘F— BEN JOHNSON’ chant has broken out at Ford Field,” Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun Times reported via X.
Lions star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown offered something of a harbinger last week on how the Lions faithful would receive their former coordinator during the “St. Brown Podcast” he hosts with his brother.
“Week 2 is going to be so crazy, I promise you. It is going to be so electric,” he said. “But as soon as Ben walks in there, we’re booing him. I don’t give a f—. We all booing him.”
Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown Cooked Bears Defense Through the Air
GettyDetroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Johnson’s return to Detroit was even less hospitable on the field, as his Bears fell to the Lions by a score of 52-21.
Chicago produced a few positives it can take away from the game, namely rushing for 134 yards on 27 carries (5.0 yards per attempt) after an abysmal effort on the ground against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1.
However, the Bears put up even fewer points against the Lions (21) than they did against Minnesota (24) on “Monday Night Football,” continuing a trend of Johnson’s offensive genius taking time to spread through Chicago’s offense.
On the other side of the football, the Bears faced an absolute nightmare manifested primarily by St. Brown. He produced nine catches for 115 yards and three scores on the day. Jameson Williams also went over 100 yards receiving and found the end zone.
Their efforts, led by quarterback Jared Goff who finished the day with 334 yards and five TDs, made for the worst defensive showing the Bears have put up in nearly 11 years.
“For the first time since Nov. 9, 2014 (Packers), the Bears have allowed 50+ points in a game,” Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic posted to X.
Ben Johnson Held Out For Bears Head Coaching Job
GettyHead coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears.
Johnson helped develop Detroit’s offense into one of the best in the NFL over the past three years, and he was perhaps the driving force in that effort.
Several teams had interest in hiring Johnson before the 2024 campaign, though he elected to remain with the Lions another season. The franchise won the NFC North Division for the second straight year and earned the No. 1 seed/sole bye in the conference through Super Wildcard Weekend.
Detroit’s offense performed well enough in the Divisional Round against the Washington Commanders at Ford Field, but a decimated defense allowed 45 points and the Lions lost the contest by two touchdowns.
Several insiders suspected Johnson held out the offseason prior because he was interested in the head coaching job in Chicago, in large part because of the presence of quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears cut ties with former head coach Matt Eberflus during the middle of the 2024 campaign and ended up hiring Johnson on January 21 of this year.
Johnson accepted the position despite a hard push from NFL legend Tom Brady, a new minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, who had strong interest in Johnson coming to the desert to rebuild that legendary franchise.
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