Bear Digest

Studs and Duds from the Chicago Bears' embarrassing Week 2 loss to Detroit Lions

The Ben Johnson era is off to a rough start after Week 2's embarrassing loss to the Detroit Lions.
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Ben Johnson's first game back in Detroit as the head coach of the Chicago Bears went about as badly as it could. The final score tells most of the story; the Bears lost 52-21.

It was embarrassing.

The Bears were ugly on offense. They were ugly on defense. There was no rhythm on either side of the ball, and toughness was certainly lacking.

For as good as the Bears looked at times in Week 1's loss to the Vikings, they looked equally as bad in Week 2 against the Lions.

Now 0-2 on the season and in the NFC North, the Bears already look like a team spiraling toward a top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Here are the studs and duds from the Chicago Bears' Week 2 loss.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) carries the ball for a touchdown
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Stud: Rome Odunze

Odunze had the best game of his young career, catching seven passes for129 yards and two touchdowns. While he did have a couple of questionable drops, it was good to see his connection with Caleb Williams continue to grow.

Dud: Colston Loveland

Loveland was invisible for the second straight week. After recording two catches for 12 yards in his debut, Loveland was blanked against the Lions. Zero catches from the 10th overall pick is simply unacceptable. The Bears have to find a way to incorporate him into the offense, or questions will continue to mount as to why they spent a premium first-round selection on a tight end.

Dud: Bears pass rush

Jared Goff dropped back 28 times and the Chicago Bears totaled zero sacks. Despite what looked like a quality rush in Week 1, the concerns that Bears fans had about the lack an established pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat became reality against the Lions. Goff threw for 334 yards and five touchdowns in what became a pitch-and-catch afternoon for him.

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (4) carries the ball defended by Detroit Lions
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Dud: D'Andre Swift

It's time to move on from Swift, who once again struggled to find open running lanes that were there. His box score is deceiving (he finished with 12 carries for 63 yards, but a big chunk came on a 20-yard run). There's nothing about Swift's game right now that warrants steady use as the Bears' RB1.

Dud: Darnell Wright

The 2023 first-round pick could soon see his starting job slip away if he keeps jumping before the snap and allowing pressure on Caleb Williams. From a talent perspective, Wright is the best offensive lineman on the team. But talent can only take him so far. He must get his act together or he'll soon find himself on the right side of the bench.

Dud: Ben Johnson

I'll take a deeper dive into how the offense looked once the All22 film comes out, but one thing is certain: this team looks sloppy (penalties killed the offense again). Johnson inherited a bad team and a broken locker room. It will take time for his system to take hold. But he's off to an ugly start.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.