After the Chicago Bears were blown out by the Detroit Lions 52-21, it feels like the optimism of the 2025 season is completely gone.
In Ben Johnson's return to Detroit for the first time since he took the Bears job, both he and the Bears were on the receiving end of an embarrassing loss that not only feels like this season is already over. There are a lot of difficult questions that need to be answered moving forward.
What all went wrong in the game for the Bears
Let's start with the defense. They surrendered 511 yards. No one generated a pass rush. Montez Sweat looked like he had his first sack of the season in the first half, but it was negated by penalties by both teams. The rest of the game? Nonexistent. Lions quarterback Jared Goff tore up the Bears' defense by throwing for 334 yards and five touchdowns, completing over 80% of his passes.
The secondary is a major issue now with Jaylon Johnson re-aggravating his groin injury, and he did not return. The other starting cornerback, Tyrique Stevenson, was picked apart the entire game, and his future with the Bears feels like hanging by a thread.
As for the offense, they started fast again. After the Lions took 7-0 on their first possession, the Bears responded with a 28-yard touchdown from Caleb Williams to Rome Odunze on their opening drive. That was the only positive thing on Sunday. But the offense sputtered as the offensive line committed self-inflicting penalties as the game went on. Everyone outside of Joe Thuney committed a penalty that put the offense in a tough spot.
The game took a turn for the worse when the Lions' wide receiver Issac TeSlaa made a spectacular one-handed catch in bounds toward the end of the first half. However, the officials ruled him out of bounds, and they awarded the Lions a first down at the Bears' four-yard line with six seconds remaining. Rather than going to halftime down 21-14, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown scored a touchdown to make it 28-14. Ball game.
Williams finished with 19-of-30 for 207 yards with two touchdowns, both to Odunze, and one interception. He was under duress in the second half and was sacked four times. Though he was the least of the problems on Sunday, the whole team folded like a cheap chair and was outscored 24-7 in the second half, and was taken out in the fourth quarter to avoid further punishment.
The personnel issues fall squarely on general manager Ryan Poles. None of the 2025 draft picks have made any meaningful contributions so far, and both tackle Ozzy Trapilo and defensive lineman Shemar Turner were made inactive.
Johnson must start making tough personnel decisions, with players Poles has drafted and signed, who were undisciplined and not mentally tough today. Games like today will kill fans' interest, and they will not watch another single game this season.
Read more: Ben Johnson accomplished an all-time low that even Matt Eberflus never reached
As they fell 0-2, is there anyone on this team whom Johnson can count on to be a building block? Is there anyone he can rely on to be a leader? The loss on Sunday was a massive reality check that the Bears are devoid of both, thanks to Ryan Poles.