DETROIT, Mich. (WGN) — Costly Chicago Bears turnovers paved the runway for the Detroit Lions to run away with a lopsided victory in Ben Johnson’s first game back in Detroit since leaving the Motor City to take over as head coach of the Bears.
Chicago’s defense gave up its worst performance since the prime Aaron Rodgers days in Green Bay, and Detroit looked like the juggernaut offense Johnson called plays for over the last three seasons.
“It’s a kick in the teeth. Nothing about that feels good,” Johnson said postgame. “I’ve been through a number of those over the course of my career. These guys, I’ll tell you. They’re hurt. You know it stinks. They fought the entire game, and when you play a good team on the road and you have turnovers and you don’t convert on fourth down and you give up explosive plays on defense, it can go sideways in a hurry.
“And that was really the name of the game.”
Game Recap
Two quick punches on offense were succeeded by two quick stops on defense right out of the gate.
The Lions took only five plays to go 60 yards before Jahmyr Gibbs punched in a TD run on the game’s first drive.
The Bears followed suit, going 79 yards in eight plays on the next possession, capped by a 28-yard TD pass from Caleb Williams to Rome Odunze.
Williams completed five of six pass attempts on the drive. After Odunze scored, it marked the first time Chicago scored a touchdown on their opening offensive possession in back-to-back games since Week 16 and 17 at the end of the 2022 NFL season, and the first time the Bears scored on the opening drive in back-to-back games to start a season since 2018.
After each defense forced a punt, similar storylines played out from last week, though Chicago found an offensive rhythm near the end of the first half.
“Offensively, we were able to move the ball a little bit in the first half,” Johnson said. “And then the turnovers and the lack of fourth down conversion bit us in the rear.”
The Bear’s offense sputtered after their first scripted drive, this time to the tune of three turnovers—Brian Branch forced a D’Andre Swift fumble, the Bears turned it over on downs, and Williams threw an egregious interception on second-and-32.
Meanwhile, Detroit found success behind David Montgomery and the arm of Jared Goff.
Montgomery punched in a 4-yard TD at the 9:45 mark in the second quarter, while Goff utilized the play-action passing game to set up TD throws to Brock Wright and Amon-Ra St. Brown. He hit Wright for an 8-yard touchdown near the five-minute mark, then St. Brown for a 4-yard TD pass with two seconds to go in the first half.
In between those two Goff TD passes, Williams led a seven-play, 57-yard possession that ended with his second touchdown connection of the day with Odunze, this time for six yards at the two-minute warning.
Odunze finished the game with career highs in catches (7) and receiving yards (128). It was also his third-career 100-yard receiving performance.
“When you have a guy come out and he’s making great catches for you—getting off of man coverage and press and all these different things, you want to keep feeding them the ball,” Williams said of Odunze after the game. “And I think that’s just what happened today.”
The Lions averaged 7.8 yards per play in the first half on their way to a 28-14 lead, and they didn’t slow down coming out of the gates in the third quarter.
Detroit scored 17 straight points to begin the second half. Jake Bates hit a 34-yard chip shot for his first and only field goal, then Goff threw two more TD passes—a 44-yard bomb to Jameson Williams, and an 8-yard rub route that found the hands of St. Brown for his second TD catch of the game.
Swift punched in a three-yard TD run to stop the bleeding near the 12-minute mark in the fourth quarter, but that was only temporary.
Up 45-21, Goff found St. Brown again—this time on fourth-and-goal—to extend the Lions’ lead to 52-21.
St. Brown’s third TD catch marked the tenth time in franchise history the Bears had given up 50-plus points in a game. The last time that happened was on Nov. 9, 2014, against the Green Bay Packers.
Top Statlines
Bears
Caleb Williams: 19/30, 207 yards passing, 2 TDs, 1 INT. 5 carries, 27 yards rushing.
D’Andre Swift: 12 carries, 63 yards rushing, 1 TD, 1 FL. 3 catches (3 targets), 6 yards.
Rome Odunze: 7 catches (11 targets), 128 yards, 2 TDs.
Lions
Jared Goff: 23/28, 334 yards passing, 5 TDs.
Jahmyr Gibbs: 12 carries, 94 yards rushing, 1 TD. 3 catches (3 targets), 10 yards.
Amon-Ra St. Brown: 9 catches (11 targets), 115 yards, 3 TDs.
Injury Report
Jaylon Johnson was downgraded to out for the remainder of the game after going down with a groin injury during the first half, then TJ Edwards was taken out of the game midway through the third quarter with a hamstring injury and never returned.
The loss of two of its best defenders is a tough blow to Chicago’s defense.
Johnson, a 2023 second-team All-Pro selection and back-to-back Pro Bowler in the Bears’ secondary, was hampered by calf and groin injuries all throughout training camp and was just cleared to return to active duty ahead of their Week 2 matchup in Detroit.
Edwards is coming off a 129-tackle, 12-tackles-for-loss season in 2024 after being the Bears’ second-leading tackler behind safety Kevin Byard III a year ago.
Up Next
The Chicago Bears take on the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field next Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m. CT.