Sunday was more of a forgettable game than in Week 1 after the Chicago Bears got smacked in the mouth by the Detroit Lions 52-21. Bears head coach Ben Johnson is feeling pain in his mouth after that beatdown.
Johnson spoke to the media after the game as he had to face the music of losing by 31 points. He said a simple response to how he felt after the game that most fans are feeling at this time.
“Any time you lose a game like that, man it’s a kick in the teeth.”
Ben Johnson: “Any time you lose a game like that, man it’s a kick in the teeth.”
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) September 14, 2025
Bears fans understand that feeling more than Johnson might know. It was the most points the Bears have allowed since 2022, when they allowed 49 points, and it was the first time since 2014 that the defense allowed over 50 points. However, this could have been easily avoided.
What could Johnson have done against the Lions to make it a better performance for Chicago
Preparation this week for the Bears clearly was not where it needed to be. Outside of Rome Odunze and some nice moments from D'Andre Swift, it was a rough go for the Bears' offense. Johnson at least ran the ball more, as they had 27 rushes versus 33 passes, but Caleb Williams did not hit his goal of 70% completion percentage and had two turnovers in the loss.
It was even worse for the defense with over 500 yards allowed and 52 points. Lions quarterback Jared Goff had only five incompletions and threw five touchdowns in the game.
Johnson knows this Lions team better than anyone else and for him to lose this bad, it's a telling look into what he was planning during the week. He seemed to be outcoached by Dan Campbell in every where offensively and defensively.
Read more: 1 winner (and 6 losers) in the Bears' embarrassingly awful 52-21 loss to Lions
Week 3 is going to be more important than ever for the Bears to bounce back. There will be more pressure on Johnson to get the job done. If not, he might lose the fan base quickly.