The 0-1 Chicago Bears will play the 0-1 Detroit Lions at Ford Field in a Week 2 matchup. Here’s what you need to know before kickoff (noon, FOX-Ch. 32).
5 things to watch — plus our predictions
The Bears head to Detroit for their first road game of the season Sunday against a Lions team also looking to avoid an 0-2 start in the NFC North Division. Bears coach and former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson returns to Ford Field to face his former team for the first time. Read more here.
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‘Going to be a little hostile’
Ben Johnson knew exactly what he was doing when he left Detroit for Chicago. He was well aware of the can of worms he potentially was opening.
“Yeah, everything last year ran through my head,” he said this week. “And that was one of the unfortunate parts of making that decision was you were saying goodbye to a lot of friends and a great place.”
For the first time this weekend, Johnson will walk onto the Ford Field turf with a Bears logo across his chest. The Bears and Lions renew their rivalry, and the coaching change is sure to dominate the narrative. Read more here.
- Bears’ Ben Johnson sees a lot to ‘clean up’ from Week 1 loss — including his own coaching
- Ben Johnson is the 19th Bears head coach. Here’s a look at how past coaches fared — and why they left.
- From George Halas to Ben Johnson: What was said about every Bears coach when they were hired
What worked — and what didn’t — for Caleb Williams in Week 1
The Bears quarterback faced some notable struggles during the season-opening loss.
He led the Bears on a 61-yard touchdown drive to open the game, but that proved to be the highlight for coach Ben Johnson’s offense. Williams finished 21-for-35 passing for 210 yards with one touchdown pass.
The Vikings presented a unique challenge. This was always going to be a tough Week 1 matchup for a team building a new offense. It won’t get any easier this week against the two-time reigning NFC North champion Lions. Read more here.
- 5 pressing questions facing Bears after Week 1 loss, including where did Caleb Williams’ accuracy go?
- Bears Q&A: Are Caleb Williams’ flaws correctable? What went wrong with the running game?
Hello Arlington Heights?
The Bears all but slammed the door on building an enclosed stadium in the city, with team president Kevin Warren writing in a letter to fans that the team’s “future home” is in Arlington Heights.
“Moving outside of the city of Chicago is not a decision we reached easily,” Warren said. “This project does not represent us leaving, it represents us expanding. The Bears draw fans from all over Illinois, and over 50 percent of our season-ticket holders live within 25 miles of the Arlington Heights site.” Read more here.
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- What to know about the Bears’ possible move to suburban Arlington Heights
Week 1 recap
The Ben Johnson era got off to a good start early. The play sheet he designed produced a touchdown on the opening drive — the first time the Bears have had one in a season opener since 2018.
But it was a messy slog from there as the Bears fell apart in all phases, botching an 11-point lead going into the fourth quarter and losing to the Vikings 27-24 on Monday night at Soldier Field.
Here are Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts after the Bears’ ninth loss to open a season in the last 12 years. Read more here.
- Ben Johnson’s Bears offense ‘inconsistent’ as QB Caleb Williams loses his accuracy
- Nahshon Wright’s highs and lows epitomize a Bears defense that ‘didn’t finish’ in Week 1 loss
- Lions struggle in 1st game without Ben Johnson: ‘Not even close to good enough … frustrating’
- Jordan Love starts fast — and Micah Parsons gets a debut sack — as Packers beat the Lions 27-13
- Aaron Rodgers leads the Steelers to a 34-32 comeback win over Justin Fields and the Jets