Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams will lead the Bears into Ford Field this Sunday with what feels like the weight of the world–or at least the city of Chicago–on their shoulders. After some missed opportunities and a 4th quarter collapse in Week 1 to the inexperienced JJ McCarthy, Chicago media is (characteristically) already making some crazy statements. Meanwhile, this game didn’t even need the extra sauce with it marking new head coach Ben Johnson’s return to Detroit, where he orchestrated stellar offenses in 2023 and 2024. Lions fans–and players–have voiced their displeasure for his in-division switch, which should lead to an interesting atmosphere.
Detroit comes in off of a tough loss last week to the Packers. The team turned in an all-around bad performance in the 27-13 defeat. It will look to turn things around at home.
Keys to the Game
Bears
- Discourage Lions on the Ground
Chicago’s first key to victory this week is to stifle Detroit’s running game. Pounding the ball on the ground and converting play-action passes has been their’ identity over the past few seasons. Without success rushing the ball, the head of the snake is cut off. This was demonstrated last week, when Detroit posted the least rushing yards in the NFL (46), only averaging 2.1 yards per carry. If the Bears can hold the Lions to similar numbers, they will find the same success that Green Bay did.
- Clean Up Pre-Snap Penalties
Chicago struggled mightily with offensive penalties in its first game running Ben Johnson’s new offense, committing eight. They shot themselves in the foot a few times too many, which contributed to their collapse. The Bears can’t do this again and expect to leave Detroit with a road win. If they stay ahead of the sticks, however, they should be able to find success against a Lions defense that struggled to rush the passer and gave up the 5th-most net yards per pass attempt last week.
Lions
- Establish Rushing Attack
From Detroit’s perspective, they clearly need to establish the run game. The offense was lost last week without it. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, usually a phenomenal duo, combined for 44 yards on 20 carries. PFF rated Graham Glasgow as the worst center in the NFL last week with an abysmal offensive rating of 43.6 and an even worse run block rating (34.3). No team can win in the NFL running like that, Lions included.
- Generate Pressure on Caleb Williams
The Lions also need to greatly improve upon their pass rush in week 1. The defense generated zero sacks and was outpressured 19-7 by Green Bay. Allowing Caleb Williams to grow comfortable behind his new offensive line seems like a recipe for disaster for Detroit. An early sack or two from Aiden Hutchinson or Marcus Davenport would force Williams to shift some attention away from routes and concepts and towards protection plans.