Bear Digest

Keys to a Chicago Bears victory in Ben Johnson's return to Detroit

Facing an ugly 0-2 start to the season, the Chicago Bears need a win over their division rival in the worst way. Here's how they can do it.
Pete Martuneac|
David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The 2025 NFL season is still young, but it has so far not been kind to the Chicago Bears. It started well, with Caleb Williams making an emphatic statement in his opening drive against the Minnesota Vikings, but that's when the wheels came off as an atrocious loss sent the Bears plunging down the power rankings. Now they're staring down the barrel of an ugly 0-2 start to a season that began with so much hope. To make matters worse, this would also leave them 0-2 in the division, all but killing any chance of a division title.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Their Week 2 opponent, the Detroit Lions, are not the same Lions that went 15-2 last year. For one, their brilliant offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left them to be Chicago's new head coach and he's already issued a warning for the Lions. Second, they also lost their defensive coordinator to the New York Jets, along with two of their starting offensive linemen from last year.

In short, these Lions are more than beatable, as we saw in Week 1 when the Green Bay Packers absolutely demolished them. The Bears may not crush the Lions, but they can certainly beat them. Here's how.

1. Get pressure on Jared Goff up the middle.

As aforementioned, the Lions saw two starters from their interior offensive line depart this offseason, and both were huge losses. To make things worse, the Lions chose to move their starting left guard from last year over to center, meaning the entire interior of their O-line is new and likely a major downgrade.

Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings have the chance to feast against these mismatches in Week 2, and if concern over Grady Jarrett's knee issue proves overblown, that's one more dog in the fight. Goff has historically been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league when pressured, especially when it comes up the middle, so the Bears must take advantage here.

Bears defensive line
David Banks-Imagn Images

2. Caleb Williams has to shake off Week 1 and improve. Fast.

Upon reflection, and after hearing the opinion of an NFL legend regarding Caleb Williams, Week 1 wasn't a complete disaster for the Bears quarterback. There was actually plenty of good to take away, and give credit to the Vikings' defense for putting on a clinic. However, this does not fully absolve Williams for his poor plays last week. He has a long way to go before proving he's a franchise quarterback.

That has to start in Week 2. The Lions defense is nowhere near the Vikings in terms of speed and aggression, and they're still learning under a new, unproven defensive coordinator. Their secondary is shoddy and star defensive end Aiden Hutchinson appears to be still severely limited from his season-ending ankle injury last year.

Williams should have cleaner pockets and more open receivers this time around, and he must execute. Another dud will turn the panic meter up to 11.

Caleb William
Matt Marton-Imagn Images

3. Let 'trickery' be the watchword.

Ben Johnson did not rise to prominence in NFL coaching circles because he runs a vanilla gameplan. He's a brilliant play-caller and a perfectionist, which lends itself well to NFL coaches. But what really made Johnson a household name were the jaw-dropping trick plays he designed and ran. From the 'stumble bum' trick play to giving offensive tackle Penei Sewell an attempted pass against the Bears, you just never know when you're about to see Johnson pull out some witchcraft on the field.

We didn't see much of that against Minnesota. The closest we got to any real trickery was the fake-pitch/touchdown pass to Rome Odunze near the end.

That has to change in Week 2, and there's reason to believe it will. Johnson has already coyly suggested he has some tricks up his sleeves for Detroit as he makes his emotional return to Ford Field. While some deride this kind of football as gimmickry, when run well it can bust a game wide open. That's what the Bears need on Sunday if they're going to walk away with a win.

Final prediction: Bears win 30-20

Last week, I predicted the Bears would put up 27, and they almost got there with 24. This time, with another week of preparation and with the hopeful addition of some trick plays, I think the Bears can one-up themselves and put up 30. That should be plenty to beat Detroit and save their season's prospects with a 1-1 start, which is probably exactly what everyone predicted before the season, anyway.

The fact is that the Detroit Lions of 2025 are not the Lions of 2024 or 2023. Losing both coordinators in one offseason is a huge blow to any team. Just look at the Eagles in 2023 for an example. Added to that are the departures of two of their best offensive linemen, which has turned a rock-solid strength into an area of concern. They are vulnerable, and the Bears will take advantage.

Ben Johnso
David Banks-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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