(Photo: Nic Antaya, Getty)
The beginning of the Ben Johnson era has gone as badly as you could have possibly imagined for the Chicago Bears.
A collapse on Monday Night against the Minnesota Vikings to open the season, and now followed by a blowout loss to his former team, the Detroit Lions, 52-21. It's the third-most points the Lions have scored in a game in franchise history, while it's tied for the fifth-most points the Bears have allowed in a game (most was 55 against the Packers in 2014). With both teams coming into this game 0-1, you figured both teams would come in with a sense of urgency to not only avoid a 0-2 start to the season, but an 0-2 division record in the highly competitive NFC North. While Chicago did put up a fight in the first half, getting it to a 21-14 deficit with 1:55 to go, that would be the last of the good vibes for the Bears.
Another circus catch by rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa and a botched call by the officials at the end of the first half spiraled into a 24-0 run by the Lions to make it a 45-14 game.
"Anytime you lose a game like that, it's a kick in the teeth, nothing about that feels good," Johnson said postgame. "Unfortunately, I've been through a number of these over the course of my career. I'll tell ya, these guys are hurt, it stinks, they fought the entire game. When you play a good team on the road, and you have turnovers, you don't convert on fourth down, and you give up explosive plays on defense, then it can go sideways in a hurry."
The only shining light for the Bears today was the connection between Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, as he had 7 receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns.
A breakout game for Odunze was wasted by a lackluster effort by nearly every other player. Penalties remained an issue, especially on the offensive line, which committed five of the eight penalties for the Bears for a total of 50 yards. The Bears lost the turnover battle 0-2, didn't register a single sack on Jared Goff, and let the Lions rush for 174 yards on 29 carries (six yards per carry).
Things aren't going to get any easier for the Bears moving forward. They get another potential revenge game against the Dallas Cowboys when former head coach Matt Eberflus comes to town, followed by the Pete Carroll-led Las Vegas Raiders on the road.
Is a 0-4 start possible? That's a potential reality, as the Cowboys come in off their first win of the Brian Schottenheimer era, in overtime to the New York Giants, while the Raiders could be entering that Week 4 game rolling after games against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Washington Commanders.
Finding any positives from this game..
So, where do the Bears go from here?
There are some positives to take away from this game, mostly during the first half. The running game appeared to gain better traction compared to their game against the Vikings, and Williams seemed more comfortable playing from the pocket and making the right decisions.
The defense had its moments when Jaylon Johnson and T.J. Edwards were healthy, but both of them were re-injured in the game, and we don't know how long these injuries will last. There aren't a lot of reasons to be optimistic if you're a Bears fan right now, and it could get a whole heck of a lot worse as the only team in the division at 0-2.
"We've got 15 more games, and there've been multiple occasions where teams rally back and go on a run, and that's what we're focused on," Williams said. "To do that, you gotta focus on the next one. This game is over, they scored a bunch of points, [and] we didn't score enough, that's simply how football works. Being able to move on to the next game, next play, whatever the case may be, is where we're focused and we all believe in each other."
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