Lions HC Sends Warning Shot to Bears Ahead of Week 2, Dismisses Former Lions OC Ben Johnson as a Threat
Lions head coach Dan Campbell made his stance on facing his former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the Bears in Week 2 very clear.
Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season will feature a matchup between Dan Campbell's Detroit Lions and Ben Johnson's Chicago Bears.
Campbell and Johnson were colleagues from 2022 to 2024, elevating the Lions into playoff contenders overnight. With Campbell as the head coach and Johnson as the offensive coordinator, they led the franchise to their best playoff run in decades, reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2023.
However, their time together came to an end in the 2025 offseason following the squad's NFC Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders. Johnson decided to take the next step in his coaching career, accepting the Bears' head coaching job.
Campbell talked about his team's upcoming matchup with the Bears on Monday afternoon, per reporter Eric Woodyard. With the two teams being division rivals, Campbell sees their situations as ones on even ground.
“I think we're on even playing ground really. It's the same thing. He knows what we're about. We know what he's about,” Campbell said.
What lies ahead for Dan Campbell, Lions
It's clear that Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson have moved on to their separate paths, enjoying the three years they spent together forming the Lions into a playoff contender.
However, Johnson's exit does present issues for Detroit. They are coming off a brutal 27-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the season opener. The offense was noticeably different as the Lions' attack did not have the elite potency it had in past seasons in Week 1.
There is plenty of time for the Lions to bounce back from those early struggles. However, they will need to do that as soon as possible with playoff contention at stake. They cannot afford to miss the postseason with the star players they have at their arsenal.
The Lions will prepare for their Week 2 matchup against the Bears, being at home. The contest will take place on Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. ET.
Nick Sirianni reiterates his stance on Eagles' A.J. Brown after one catch game
Everyone seems so fixated on Philadelphia Eagles A.J. Brown's performance in the 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys, with many forgetting that football is a team sport.
Much was talked about as Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts "struggled" to get the ball into Brown's hands on offense. Brown wasn't targeted until late in the fourth quarter, when he made one reception for eight yards with 1:45 to go in the game.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni had to answer yet another question on Brown in his press conference on Monday, where he used the time to tell the media what he said to the team about Brown's demeanor in the face of adversity.
“Okay, the ball hasn't come to me in three quarters.' That might be the first time that's ever happened to him in his career as a football player because he's such a good player and you're always trying to find ways to do that. But he makes a play in a critical moment when his number was called. You look for moments like that to really show and preach the stuff that's important to your core values and your culture. That was just a great example by one of our captains of, 'Hey, it didn't go exactly the way you wanted it to go, or any of us envisioned it going, that's life, that's football, but when called upon and the ball did come your way, you made this huge play.' "
Brown stepped up when it counted the most in Eagles-Cowboys game
Sirianni wasn't kidding when he talked about the crucial moment Brown had in the game. In a time when the offense had zero momentum going into that final drive, facing a second and 11, Hurts was able to put it on the money to Brown. It might have seemed like a routine play, but it was the one that set up the Eagles with a short third down.
On the next play, Hurts would end up scrambling for four yards when he needed three to seal the game. Sirianni understands that it wasn't a game-sealing play, but it was the one that set the team up to win.
"Was it a first down? No, but it set us up to get the first down where it Dallas' offense didn't come back on the field, and you set us up to get that and make this huge play when maybe the ball wasn't going your way all night. That's why A.J.'s special because even in a game like that, he does things without the ball to help us win and he makes a play in a critical moment. Great throw by Jalen and great route and catch by A.J. and made a play in a critical moment to help us win the football game.”
The media can try to push any narrative they want, but it won't work. They tried it last year with the "locker room drama" between Hurts and Brown, but this team is too mentally tough to let that hurt the team's goal of winning another Super Bowl.
