Lions Crash Bears 52-21 in “Personal” Game Amid Johnson’s Departure

Summary:

• The Detroit Lions scored 52 points against the Chicago Bears in their first game against ex-coordinator Ben Johnson, currently head coach for the Bears.
• Jared Goff threw for 334 yards and five touchdowns; Amon-Ra St. Brown had three TDs and 115 receiving yards.
• Lions players and fans made it clear the game felt personal.

Sunday marked yet another heated clash between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears at Ford Field that resulted in Dan Campbell’s side cruising to a 52-21 victory, leaving behind the bad memory of NFL Week 1’s Green Bay loss.

However, this was no standard early-season matchup, but rather a highly emotional meetup that sent ripples well beyond the field.

For the Detroit side, the game represented the first meeting with their former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson since he took off in the offseason and became Chicago’s head coach. As explained by Lions defensive back Brian Branch, the stakes felt a lot higher than usual, and the team felt “very motivated” knowing they were coming into a “personal” game.

This one we felt like we’d been betrayed from the staff to players. And we love Ben, we still love Ben. He’s a great coach. He’s a great mastermind but, yeah, it was time to get after him.

And so they did with their explosive offense and impressive defense that helped them mark the third time they topped 50 points under Campbell. The franchise had only previously managed this feat three times in its history before the arrival of the 49-year-old in 2021.

Detroit’s fans were not shy in expressing their true feelings regarding Johnson’s departure, chanting “Fuck Ben Johnson!” toward the end of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jared Goff wasn’t pleased with the unfair treatment offered to the coach who did a lot for his side.

Nonetheless, his field play told a completely different story, as he was nearly flawless, completing 23 of 28 passes for 334 yards and five touchdowns.

Branch, who finished with six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble, said he respected his former coach but couldn’t ignore the sting of his departure. “He could’ve went anywhere else, but he’s gotta see us again”, Branch said.

The defense even found time to poke fun at Johnson. Following Kerby Joseph’s interception in the second quarter, they reenacted Johnson’s “stumble bum” trick, faking a stumble and a fumble recovery.

Chicago couldn’t pull itself up to answer Jameson Williams’s 44-yard score haul, part of his 108-yard day, or Amon-Ra St. Brown’s nine catches, 115 yards, and three touchdowns, which turned him into the first Lion to reach that mark since Calvin Johnson in 2010.

Johnson, however, brushed off any notion that Campbell was running up the score, embracing his former colleagues at the end of the game. “It’s always good to see Dan Campbell, but not when you are on the losing side like that”, he said.

Detroit made it very clear: they are more than ready to move forward in the new American football season after Johnson’s departure.