Lions’ Dan Campbell ‘doesn’t care’ about potential Ben Johnson ‘tricks’
With the Detroit Lions facing the Chicago Bears and head coach Ben Johnson, it will be a reunion of sorts for Dan Campbell, leading his team into somewhat familiar territory. While fans lock in their predictions for the Lions and Bears matchup, Campbell speaks on facing the NFC North rival and the tricks that could be thrown their way.
The reason for a reunion is that Johnson served as offensive coordinator for Detroit from 2022 to 2024, building up his name as a top mind on that side of the ball. Tasked now with ushering in a new era to Chicago, Johnson had been known for using trick plays, as Campbell would be asked about the potential use.
Let's just say that Campbell does not “really care about trick plays” and is more focused on the “meat and potatoes” of the game, according to NBC Sports.
“You’ll practice one or two things — you do for every opponent — but I don’t really care about trick plays,” Campbell said. “Let’s just handle the meat and potatoes of an offense, a defense, what we think they’re gonna hang their hat on, let’s stop that first, let’s worry about that, let’s make sure we’re all on point, and we’ll handle the other stuff.”
“They may hit us on one. That’s alright, that happens. Get back to the huddle and let’s go on to the next play,” Campbell continued.
Lions' Dan Campbell on being prepared for Bears' Ben Johnson
With the Lions looking to bounce back after a sloppy outing in the first week of the regular season in the loss to the Green Bay Packers, one aspect will be to not let the Bears catch them off guard. There's no denying that trick plays could be Chicago's catalyst in winning the game, but Campbell has the mindset of not letting those types of scenarios impact them greatly.
“We’ve got a menu, a very large menu of things,” Campbell said. “There can be anything. We’ll be good. You can’t sit there and paralyze yourself with what if, what if, what if. The most important thing is, you get in trouble if you can’t handle the nuts and bolts of an offense. If you can’t stop the run, we bleed out explosives, then that’s where you can get in trouble. I’m not worried about the other stuff.”
It will no doubt be an intense game that was already so because of the divisional rivalry, but it has added an extra wrinkle with the Detroit connection of Johnson being the Bears' new head coach. Campbell would express how Johnson will “always” be his friend, but the goal remains to win the contest.
“Listen, Ben’s my friend,” Campbell said, according to The Athletic. “He’s always going to be my friend. Nothing about that’s going to change. We’re going in, getting ready to play Chicago. We’re going to win this game. We have to.”
Detroit looks for its first win of the season when it takes on Chicago on Sunday.
Chiefs Named Top Trade Partner for Emerging 49ers Playmaker
The Kansas City Chiefs have spent the past few years with a bit of a turnstile at wide receiver, but this year feels slightly different.
Rashee Rice is out on suspension for the first six weeks, Xavier Worthy is already recovering from a shoulder injury sustained Week 1 and Jalen Royals hasn’t been healthy enough to show what he can bring to the table.
Patrick Mahomes still has Travis Kelce as his security blanket, but the offense feels like it still needs someone else to help steady the ship. Enter Jauan Jennings.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox named the Niners a top candidate to trade for Jennings, projecting the San Francisco 49ers WR’s trade value to be a fourth-round pick along with a 2027 fifth-rounder. Would this be the kind of move Kansas City should make? Let’s discuss.
A Look Back at Jennings’ Time With the 49ers
Drafted in the seventh round in 2020, Jennings spent his rookie year stuck between the practice squad and injured list before breaking through in 2021.
By then, he had carved out a role in San Francisco as Kyle Shanahan’s go-to on third downs. Fans and teammates alike dubbed him “Third-and-Jauan” for good reason: when the Niners needed a tough conversion, Jennings was generally the guy muscling through traffic to move the chains.
From 2021 through 2023, Jennings posted decent stat lines, but in 2024, with injuries hitting the 49ers’ WRs room, he leveled up and finished the year as a reliable secondary option. By season’s end, he had career highs in catches (77), receiving yards (975) and touchdowns (6).
Why a Trade to the Kansas City Chiefs Makes Sense for Jauan Jennings
For Kansas City, the fit feels like it could be a good one. Jennings has made his living on the same kinds of routes Andy Reid tends to favor: options, slants, digs. Add in his blocking on screens and outside runs, and you have a wideout who can help multiple facets of the Chiefs offense. He doesn’t need to post gaudy numbers to help; he just has to win his matchup on third-and-five or bury a cornerback to spring Isaiah Pacheco loose.
This isn’t about landing a superstar. Jennings has never been the fastest guy on the field or a showy playmaker. What he has been, consistently, is tough as nails. He’s the kind of receiver who makes defensive backs think twice about tackling him in the flat.
Then there’s the cap math, which makes the idea realistic. Jennings is playing on the final year of a two-year extension, with a 2025 cap hit of $4.25 million — just $1.17 million in base salary plus per-game bonuses. The heavy bonus proration already sits on San Francisco’s books, which means a trade partner would only take on the leftover base and incentives.
He has also battled injury issues this summer, so his medicals would have to be good.
Jennings may not be the kind of acquisition that sends fans sprinting to buy jerseys. But if Kansas City makes that call, don’t be surprised if “Third-and-Jauan” suddenly becomes a frequent chant at Arrowhead.
