Ben Johnson didn’t have to wait long to make his return to Ford Field, this time as head coach of one of his old team’s NFC North rivals.
The Detroit Lions host the Bears on Sunday, marking Johnson’s return to Detroit. The Bears hired Johnson to be their head coach this past offseason after he helped the Lions average an NFL-high 32.4 points per game as their offensive coordinator.
And by the time Sunday’s game ends, either Johnson’s new team or his old team will in an 0-2 hole both overall and in division play.
The Bears opened their season Monday night by squandering an 11-point fourth-quarter lead at Soldier Field, as the Minnesota Vikings rallied for a 27-24 win. The Lions, meanwhile, opened with a 27-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field last Sunday.
Here’s a closer look at Sunday’s matchup in Detroit:
Chicago (0-1) at Detroit (0-1)
Sunday, Noon, FOX
BetMGM NFL Odds: Lions by 6 (subject to change).
Against the spread: Bears 0-1; Lions 0-1.
Series record: Bears lead Lions 105-80-5.
Last meeting: Lions beat Bears 34-17 at Chicago on Dec. 22, 2024.
Last week: Bears lost to Vikings 27-24 at home; Lions lost at Packers 27-13.
Bears offense: overall (14t), rush (10t), pass (16), scoring (10t)
Bears defense: overall (7), rush (24), pass (5), scoring (25t)
Lions offense: overall (27), rush (31t), pass (15), scoring (24t)
Lions defense: overall (11), rush (11t), pass (14t), scoring (25t)
Injuries and inactives
Both teams will release their list of inactives Sunday morning prior to kickoff.
On their Friday injury report, the Bears had already listed CB Kyler Gordon (hamstring) as out for Sunday’s game. WR Jahdae Walker (ankle) was listed as doubtful and DL Grady Jarrett (knee) was listed as questionable.
Five others, DB Josh Blackwell (groin), LB T.J. Edwards (hamstring), DB Jaylon Johnson (calf/groin), RB Roschon Johnson (foot) and WR DJ Moore (abdomen/groin), were listed as full participants Friday.
Johnson said he was “hopeful” that Johnson and Edwards would be available for Sunday’s game after both players missed the opener.
For the Lions, meanwhile, CB Terrion Arnold (groin) was cleared to practice after leaving the opener with an injury, while LB Jack Campbell (ankle) and OT Taylor Decker (shoulder) were held out of practice Wednesday.
In their Friday injury report, Decker and DB Kerby Joseph (knee) were listed as questionable, RB Sione Vaki (hamstring) was listed as doubtful and LB Trevor Nowaske (elbow) was listed as out.
Bears player to watch
QB Caleb Williams. Coming off an uneven rookie season after being drafted No. 1 overall, Williams was inconsistent in the opener. He had his first career TD run on Chicago’s first possession and completed his first 10 passes before cooling off. The offense didn’t score another TD until late in the game, and Williams finished 21-of-35 for 210 yards and a TD pass.
Lions player to watch
DE Aidan Hutchinson. He did not have a tackle at Green Bay in his first game since breaking two bones in his left leg last October. He had 7 1/2 sacks in five games last season before he was injured. Detroit, which didn’t have a sack last week, desperately needs Hutchinson to get to Williams, because rushing the passer is one of the team’s glaring weaknesses.
Key matchup
Detroit’s offensive line against Chicago’s defensive front. The Lions had one of the NFL’s top offensive lines in recent years. The reshaped unit performed poorly against the Packers, giving up four sacks and allowing them to hold the Lions to 2.1 yards per rushing attempt. The Bears had three defensive linemen with a sack last week, and their defense held Minnesota to three-and-out drives seven times in Week 1.
Series notes
Detroit has won five of the past six matchups, losing at Chicago in 2023, after losing seven of eight games to the Bears from 2018-2021.
Stats and stuff
Head coach Ben Johnson is leading the Bears in his first season after serving as Detroit’s offensive coordinator. … Chicago is within two victories of joining Green Bay as the only franchises with at least 800 wins. … The Bears had four false starts and 12 penalties in all last week, the most for them since they had 12 in a loss to Pittsburgh on Nov. 8, 2021. … Chicago had 119 yards rushing against Minnesota, and the only RB to carry the ball was former Lions standout D’Andre Swift with 53 yards on 17 attempts. Williams led Chicago with 58 yards on six scrambles. … WR DJ Moore has six TDs in seven games against the Lions and is averaging 106.7 yards per scrimmage against them. … Bears LB Noah Sewell, who had a career-high nine tackles last week, and Lions OT Penei Sewell are brothers. … With Jaylon Johnson out, CB Nahshon Wright returned an INT 74 yards for a TD and held two-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson to four catches for 44 yards. … Since Nov. 6, 2022, the Lions have not lost two straight games in the regular season. … QB Jared Goff was 31-of-39, averaging 7.3 yards per completion, for 225 yards with a TD and an INT last week. … Goff completed at least four passes to five teammates at Green Bay. … Detroit RB Jahmyr Gibbs had a career-high 10 receptions last week, but for just 31 yards. … Gibbs was limited to 19 yards rushing on nine carries against the Packers. … Former Bears RB David Montgomery has 25 rushing TDs in 28 regular-season games with the Lions. … Montgomery was held to 25 yards rushing on 11 carries last week. … TE Sam LaPorta, who has scored in the past two games against Chicago, had six catches for a team-high 79 yards at Green Bay. … Hutchinson has 16 1/2 sacks in 20 home games.
Fantasy tip
Goff will likely bounce back from a lackluster performance, based on his track record at Ford Field and against the Bears. He threw for 21 TDs with just six INTs in nine regular-season games last season at home. Goff has thrown at least two TDs in four of his past five games versus Chicago, and his passer rating was at least 100 in seven of the past nine matchups.
Michael Johnson
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