While the Detroit Lions' big loss to the Green Bay Packers was a huge deal in NFC North circles in Week 1, it was the subsequent loss to the Minnesota Vikings by the Chicago Bears that really caught some flack. It was a major comeback victory for the Vikings, led by J.J. McCarthy, and it made Chicago look like the "same ol' Bears" that Ben Johnson was hired to fixed.
Week 2 has Johnson headed back to his old stomping grounds in Detroit to face off with the Lions, hoping to land a different result than a Monday night football loss in Week 1. Caleb Williams, his young signal caller, is going to have to have a much better contest than he did against Minnesota in order to get that result.
According to NFL Spin Zone's Ryan Heckman, that's exactly what'll happen for Chicago when they go to Ford Field for another major NFC North clash.
"TheLions watched Green Bayput up a respectable 27 points in their Week 1 defeat. But, Detroit's defense looked all out of sorts at times. It could have been much worse. The Lions failed to sack Jordan Love at all while also being denied even a single takeaway. This Lions team looked like one without an identity on either side. And now, they have to go up against a coach who knows them better than just about anyone in Ben Johnson. The Bears are going into Detroit and putting up 30-plus points on Johnson's old team."
Lions predicted to struggle against Williams in Week 2
Chicago didn't look very good in their loss to Minnesota. They struggled to close out against the Vikings' tough-nosed defense, and their "new look" offensive line was a bit shakier than expected. It sure sounds like many of the problems that plagued Detroit in Week 1 also haunted Chicago. And, for both teams, these issues are fixable with time and games played.
That said, it's hard to imagine that the secondary, at the very least, will still look as lost as they did in Week 1. Williams is shiftier than Love, so that presents a problem for the Lions' pass rush and if they opt to lean more into zone coverage. But, the cornerbacks and safeties are probably chomping at the bit to show they're not as bad in reality as they were in Week 1.
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Terrion Arnold's groin injury doesn't sound too serious, so hopefully, he's back in the fold in Week 2, as well.
Additionally, it was Green Bay's defense and the Lions' elementary play calling that made Detroit's struggles look exaggerated in Week 1. If they can get back to what works for them - running the football off screens, play action, and deep ball threats generated by Jameson Williams' speed, they can likely topple anything Williams attempts