BREAKING: BEARS GET HEALTH BOOST BEFORE MONDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN — ONLY ONE STARTER RULED OUT VS COMMANDERS
As the week went along, the Bears' health improved to the point where they look healthier than they've been since the opener, if not back in preseason.
The only player designated as out for the game Monday night against Washington is defensive tackle Grady Jarrett due to a knee injury.
There was full participation across the board from every other player, including right tackle Darnell Wright.
As a result, Wright had been removed from the injury report and is available to start against the Commanders despite missing the last game with an elbow injury. It means Ozzy Trapilo would not get his starting debut at right tackle.
Tight end Colston Loveland had full participation and is questionable to return but has practiced all week on a limited basis until Saturday, when he was a full participant. He had missed the Raiders game with a hip injury.
Kicker Cairo Santos is also questionable, although he has had full participation throughout the week after a thigh injury that kept him from kicking off twice in the Sept. 28 game with the Raiders.
Coach Ben Johnson wouldn't say if the team will also have backup kicker Jake Moody active in case the injury gets aggravated in the game.
"We'll have a plan, and we'll make sure that we have everything accounted for," he said. "I feel good about where we're at right now. We'll have another day of practice (Sunday morning) to be able to evaluate not only Cairo (Santos), but all of the other guys, and make sure that we're making the most informed decision going into the game.
"That's really what the week is for, going through all of those hypotheticals, as a coaching staff, to make sure that we're prepared."
Defensive end Austin Booker (knee) and running back Travis Homer (calf) are eligible to be activated from injured reserve and had full participation all week after four games away. Booker was injured in the second preseason game but it occurred on a special teams play.
Other players who had been limited but who had full practices Saturday and have been removed from the injury report are:
- Safety Jaquan Brisker (quad)
- Linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring)
- Safety Kyler Gordon (hamstring)
- Guard Jonah Jackson (ribs)
- Running back Kyle Monangai (thigh)
Ben Johnson just gave Lions fans another reason to despise him
After the Detroit Lions lost to the Washington Commanders in last year's playoffs, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson pretty quickly left to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears. With how that loss went, a strong section Lions' fans leaned into the idea Johnson's focus was elsewhere when it shouldn't have been.
Leaving to become the head coach of a division rival adds a significant layer to how Lions fans feel about Johnson. Add in what he said upon arriving at Halas Hall, and Bears' defensive coordinator Dennis Allen later revealing when Johnson first contacted him about possibly being on his coaching staff, and Lions' fans have plenty of fuel for their disdain won't ever be assuaged just by their team beating Johnson's new team.
The Lions' offense did plenty well enough in that playoff loss to the Commanders, but five turnovers was the ultimate undoing.
One play from the playoff loss to Washington that drew particular ire ire from Lions fans was a trick play where wide receiver Jameson Williams threw a pass.
A costly interception followed, when the Lions were trailing by 10 and in striking distance.
Johnson’s creativity as a play caller is generally appreciated. But occasionally straying from simple things, and instead digging into his creative bag, was a point of critique at times when he was the Lions’ offensive coordinator.
Ben Johnson invites more ire from Lions’ fans
Johnson’s Bears are taking on the Commanders in Week 6. So the last time he faced them came up during his session with the media on Wednesday.
“Yeah, I think when I look back at that game there were, we had a lot of turnovers”, Johnson said.
“I felt like within that setting, that as good as that (Commanders) offense was clicking, you know, you feel a little bit of pressure on offense to go score for score and you don't want to fall behind by two scores against a good team like that," Johnson said. "So, might have been a little bit more aggressive with the play calls and got away from the game plan a little bit based on how that game went.”
“End of the day, you take care of the football, that game maybe goes a different direction.”
A segment of fans though Johnson wouldn’t leave the Lions until they won a Super Bowl, even if that was never a logical reason for him to continue to brush off head coaching opportunities. Then when he did leave, he went to a division rival.
Now, Johnson has acknowledged mistakes he made in his final game as Lions offensive coordinator. If fans needed any more fuel to their hatred fire, they have it now.
