The Chicago Bears were hoping to start the season with a pair of NFC North division victories over the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. After falling to the Vikings in the season opener after a great Minnesota comeback, the Bears got run out of Ford Field by the Lions. The 52-21 defeat means the Bears are going to have to battle back from an 0-2 start if they are going to be successful this season.

Johnson knew little besides success last season when he served as the offensive coordinator of the Lions. He was considered the top head coaching candidate in the offseason and the Bears were considered victorious over the other teams that were looking for a head coach because they got their man.

As creative as Johnson is when it comes to building an offense, leading a team from the head coaching spot is a much different and all-encompassing assignment. He has to lead the entire team and he must answer media questions on nearly an every-day basis. After the loss to the Lions, Johnson had to answer questions on whether he thought Lions head coach Dan Campbell was running up the score on him.

Johnson was able to answer the question in a matter-of-fact style without letting emotion play a part in his response. “What’s he supposed to do? Yeah, he could’ve kicked a field goals,” Johnson said. “They don’t kick field goals. They go for it there. That's what he does.”

Bears hurt by their own mistakes as well as Lions sharp play

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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell reacts to a play against LA Chargers during the second half of the Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio on Thursday, July 31, 2025.
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If the Bears are going to compete against elite teams like the Lions, they are going to have to avoid mistakes. Quarterback Caleb Williams completed 19 of 30 passes for 207 yards with 2 touchdowns, but he also threw 1 interception and was sacked 4 times.

Running back D'Andre Swift had 12 carries for 63 yards and 1 touchdown, but he also lost a fumble. The Bears twice turned the ball over on downs to the Lions and they also committed 8 penalties. Johnson is going to have a hard time leading the team to victory when the team makes that many miscues.

While the Bears were making mistakes, the Lions were attacking with authority. Quarterback Jared Goff torched the Bears defense with a near-perfect effort. He completed 23 of 28 passes for 334 yards with 5 touchdowns and no interceptions.

He was able to torment the Bears by throwing to star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who caught 9 passes for 115 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jameson Williams and Brock Wright also caught TD passes from Goff.