The Chicago Bears will hit the road for their second divisional matchup in as many weeks. This time, head coach Ben Johnson will be back at Ford Field to face his former mentor and team, Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions.
At the time of writing, the Bears are 6.5-point underdogs on FanDuel Sportsbook, and that's even though the Bears fared quite well in their last trip to Michigan, which ended in a narrow 23-20 loss on Nov. 28, 2024.
This time, however, Chicago will be better, and they could even escape with a win. Here's a look at why the Bears will upset the Lions to earn their first win of the 2025 NFL season.
1. Lions QB Jared Goff
Trading for Jared Goff seemed to work for the Lions. However, as Peter Schrager pointed out on ESPN, he's just 3-18-1 in games in which Sean McVay or Ben Johnson weren't calling plays for him.
Goff is good within a system and when things are going his way, but not so much when he's forced to beat a team. Johnson was by his side for years, and as great as he was at hiding his limitations, he will know how to exploit them better than anybody.
New offensive coordinator John Morton called a predictable offense in the Lions' season opener. The Bears' front seven will be ruthless and keep Goff on his toes all day long. If they can consistently attack Detroit's signal-caller, Chicago's chances of victory will skyrocket.
2. Lions' Shaky Pass Rush
Bears QB Caleb Williams hasn't always looked good. He's made some wild decisions, and he has a worrisome tendency to overthrow wide-open receivers when he's running out of time. That being said, he should have plenty of time to pass the ball on Sunday.
The Lions didn't record a single sack in Week 1, and Aidan Hutchinson was fighting for his life all day. While he's an outstanding pass-rusher, he should be in for a similar hell in Week 2.
Granted, the Bears' offensive line is still a work in progress with the new additions, but the Lions don't have many options there after refusing to bring Za'Darius Smith back. Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love had all day to sit in the pocket, and he kept making them pay. Williams would benefit from a similar situation this weekend.
3. Bears HC Ben Johnson
Johnson will be the first to say that he didn't call a great game in Week 1, especially down the stretch. Nevertheless, that's just a part of the process, and some growing pains were to be expected with a first-year head coach. Now, it's time to move forward.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said that he knows what to expect from Johnson in Week 2, but that's a two-way street. He might know how he prepares, but he doesn't know what he has in store for his former team, and you better believe he has something special. There's a reason why Chicago's HC has a reputation for trick plays.
Johnson not only knows the Lions coaches, but he's familiar with the personnel and the roster. He has an edge in that department and, more importantly, he's had this game marked on his calendar for months. It's time to put that preparation into motion, and an upset win would give Bears fans plenty of reasons to believe in the franchise's outlook under Johnson.