‘That’s what he does’ — Ben Johnson doesn’t discredit Dan Campbell for sending a statement against the Bears in Week 2 loss
A demoralizing loss for Chicago.
The Chicago Bears didn’t just get punched in the mouth in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions. The team got absolutely pummeled into the mat.
Detroit was looking to send a statement against the Bears after Ben Johnson left town and the team lost the opening game to the Green Bay Packers. The message was sent.
The Lions are still a top dog in this league, and the Bears are still a team not worthy of stepping on the field with a team of that caliber. But the team’s new head coach doesn’t see this final result as the statement it seemed to be from the outside.
Ben Johnson doesn’t believe the Lions intended to run up the score in Week 2
Looking at this game, it’s easy to feel the opposite. Detroit kept the foot on the gas for all four quarters despite having a commanding lead from pretty much the start.
The loudest message was sent in the fourth quarter when the Lions went for it on fourth down from the 4-yard line, converting with a third touchdown to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The following celebration to mock Chicago made things even worse.
“What’s he supposed to do? It’s fourth-and-goal, what do you want him to do?” Johnson asked when questioned about Dan Campbell’s fourth-down decision. “Yeah, he could have kicked the field goal. They don’t kick field goals. They go for it there. He was doing what he’s supposed to do. That’s what he does.”
Whether the intent was to run up the score on his former coordinator or not, the reaction should still be the same. The 52-21 loss was a humiliating performance, no question about it.
“It’s not demoralizing at all,” Johnson added. “We need to play better, simple as that.”
What the Bears showed on Sunday was the same thing the Bears showed in Week 1 and the same thing the Bears showed last season and the season before that. When this team got kicked in the mouth, they fell over and didn’t get back up. That’s not to say players weren’t trying, but this team has a serious mentality issue that needs to be addressed.
“We have a lot of prideful guys. We’re two games into the season. I think they’re just as disappointed as the coaching staff is,” Johnson explained. “We’re committed to getting this thing right. I have a lot of belief in them. We have leaders, we have captains. When you’re around the league long enough, these games happen. It doesn’t feel any better when it happens, but the good teams I’ve been on, they find a way to respond.”
Responding to tough times isn’t something Chicago has been known for the last few years, and it’s going to be a tall task for Johnson and his staff to instill that level of confidence into the players again before this thing really goes off the rails.
Chicago Bears News
Bears’ Week 2 loss to the Lions puts Ben Johnson’s first season in Chicago on a path no team has been able to battle back from
The road ahead just got a lot tougher for Chicago.
