That got ugly.
Deep into the fourth quarter of a blowout, the Detroit Lions were still pushing the ball down the field against the Chicago Bears. They scored 52 points on the day, reaching the end zone seven times and tallying over 500 yards on offense. Two of their touchdowns came late in the game, when a Bears comeback was already out of the question. The Lions were even going for it on fourth down when they didn't need to.
But new Chicago head coach Ben Johnson had no issues with Dan Campbell running up the score on his team. According to Johnson, it's the Bears' responsibility to put an end to the scoring.
Ben Johnson has no problem with Dan Campbell running up the score on Bears
Johnson knows how his former boss operates. When he was in Detroit, his teams had no problem scoring as much as they could, even if the game was out of reach. Campbell is an aggressive coach, often going for it on fourth down or taking risks with trick plays. Two games into the 2025 season, he's shown that he hasn't changed a bit.
Sunday's trouncing could be seen as a statement Campbell made to his former offensive coordinator, but Johnson doesn't see it that way. After the game, he said, "What's he supposed to do? Yeah, he could have kicked a field goal. They don't kick field goals. They go for it there. That's what he does."
The message is clear, both to his team and to Campbell: If the Bears want to get stops, they have to earn them. There are no handouts at this level of football.
Chicago needs that kind of message after this performance. It looked like the Bears gave up on the game after being outplayed early. There was no fight, no energy, and no discipline in the unit. Some level of difficulty is to be expected with a new coaching staff, but the embarrassment of this game is truly concerning.
Read more: Ben Johnson said what all Bears fans are feeling (but could have prevented it)
In the coming weeks, the Bears play the Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, and Washington Commanders. All three of those teams have offenses capable of scoring points in bunches. If Johnson and his staff can't correct the woes of the last two weeks, this season could quickly turn into something that no fan wants to witness. Maybe this game will be the wake-up call the team needed.