Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell notoriously wears his heart on his sleeve, and doesn’t bite his tongue much. However, the coach of the back-to-back NFC North champs didn’t have much to say when asked about facing the Chicago Bears, who are now being coached by former Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, early in the season.
Speaking with the media on Thursday, Campbell was asked about hosting Johnson and the Bears in Week 2 of the season, and the Lions’ head coach simply said he was indifferent about it all. However, he did make sure to make it clear Detroit will be ready to go when it’s time to line it up.
Dan Campbell is indifferent about facing Bears early in season
This is the typical response a coach would give, and also probably Campbell’s true feelings. The Lions have to face a Ben Johnson-led team twice in the regular season next year, so it doesn’t make Detroit any difference when those games are. The objective will be the same for both teams: win.
Surely, the meetings will be hyped up by the media because of the Ben Johnson factor, but it’s not like there’s bad blood between him and Detroit. Sure, fans were sad to see him go, and some were even unfairly upset he stayed in the division, but at the end of the day, Johnson helped the Lions reach new heights, and their chapter together ended amicably.
Now, the first-time head coach is in Chicago, working to lead the Bears back to prominence. With a talented roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball, expectations are high for Johnson and the Bears. The belief is that Chicago could be back in the mix as soon as this season, and if everything goes right, the Bears could dethrone Dan Campbell and the Lions as kings of the division.