All eyes were on Ford Field for the Week 2 showdown between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, largely due to the return of Bears head coach Ben Johnson. What transpired was that, following his successful tenure as Dan Campbell’s offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions, Ben Johnson was a highly sought-after head coaching candidate. After turning down multiple head coaching opportunities in the 2024 offseason to return to the Lions, Johnson found the Chicago Bears’ offer too compelling to pass up the following year. But upon his return to Ford Field last night, the fans greeted him with boos, and Jared Goff had something to say about it.
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Johnson’s time with the Lions began in 2019 as a quality control coach under Matt Patricia. He was retained by Campbell and promoted to passing game coordinator in 2021 before becoming the offensive coordinator in 2022, a role he held through the 2024 season because of his team-leading capability that yielded top-five offenses in every season. Upon his arrival at Halas Hall in Chicago, Johnson reportedly told staff that the Bears’ job was “exactly” where he wanted to be. The pre-game boos were a tame prelude to what was to come. As the Lions completed a dominant 52-21 victory, the mood shifted from simple jeers to an aggressive, vulgar chant of “F–k Ben Johnson” that echoed through the stadium. Not welcoming the coach warmly is one thing, but booing was a bit extreme for Lions quarterback Jared Goff, and he let his feelings be known.
After the game, Goff, who flourished under Johnson’s guidance, addressed the chant. As reported by Nolan Bianchi on X, who wrote, “#Lions QB Jared Goff on the ‘F— Ben Johnson’ chants: “I didn’t like that. He did a lot for us here, and I don’t know if he deserved that.”
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Goff benefited greatly from Johnson’s coaching and guidance during the latter’s tenure with the Lions. He marked a remarkable growth as the team’s QB and sharpened his gameplay, built field awareness, and protection knowledge. He grew into a team leader during that period and was an MVP finalist last season. This explains his emotional inclination toward his previous mentor.
After the game, Johnson was asked if it was the environment he was expecting on his comeback, to which he responded, saying, “Yeah, Yup, sure.” He further elaborated on how his ex-team reacted to his presence there on the field, saying, “I really didn’t even think about that a whole lot,” he said. “I didn’t interact with those guys until walking off the field there in the end. A couple of guys said hey to me, and that was really it.”
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Detroit Lions had no problem dominating their former coach in a commanding fashion and have gotten the momentum back after last week’s loss against the Packers.
The Detroit Lions found their mojo back against the Chicago Bears in week 2
The Detroit Lions turned things around in a big way in Week 2 after a disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers. While the Lions’ offense was clicking, the team faced some bumps, with a few players leaving the game due to injury. Tight end Shane Zylstra exited in the first quarter with an ankle injury, defensive end Marcus Davenport left in the third with a shoulder injury, and safety Brian Branch went out in the fourth with a cramp. However, the team seems to have emerged from the matchup without any significant long-term injuries.
Leading the charge was quarterback Jared Goff, who had a career-defining performance. He threw for 334 yards and five touchdowns, posting a 156.0 passer rating. He was complemented by a potent rushing attack, which gained 177 yards behind the duo of Jahmyr Gibbs (94 yards) and David Montgomery (57 yards).
The star of the show, however, was wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. He was unstoppable, catching nine passes for 115 yards and an impressive three touchdowns. The Lions offense got rolling in the second quarter and never looked back, putting up a decisive 52-21 victory. The win evens Detroit’s record at 1-1, while the Chicago Bears drop to 0-2, which indicates they still have a lot of hard work to put into the team, as well as for Ben Johnson. The Lions will now head on the road to take on the Baltimore Ravens next Monday night.