In an NFC North projected to be as tough a division as there is in football, someone had to come out of two head-to-head matchups in Week 1 on the wrong end of things. Coming off of one of their best seasons in the Super Bowl era, the Detroit Lions opened their 2025 season with a reality check 27-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers that was never even that close. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears went from looking as if a new chapter was about to begin to more of the same, blowing a 17-6 lead in the fourth quarter to lose 27-24 to the Minnesota Vikings.
Now, both teams find themselves in a situation where they cannot afford to lose ground in the NFC North — much less start out 0-2. And when the Bears head to Ford Field on Sunday for their Week 2 matchup with the Lions, it will mark Bears coach and former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s return to Detroit as he seeks his first win as a head coach against the team whose offense he once served as the mastermind of.
Where to watch Bears vs. Lions
When: Sunday, Sept. 14 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Where: Ford Field — Detroit, Mich.
TV: Fox | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Bears vs. Lions: Need to know
Ben Johnson returns to Detroit: After establishing himself as the NFL’s latest offensive wiz in Detroit, Ben Johnson was lured away within the division this offseason when he was hired as the Bears’ new head coach. That presents a major issue for Detroit and has spurred a need for them to adjust, as Johnson knows very intimately how Dan Campbell operates and the way he wants to attack on both sides of the football plus special teams. We’ll see exactly how Johnson puts his understanding of the Lions to full use, and also exactly how he’s received by the Detroit faithful — Johnson’s last game with the Lions, after all, was a crushing Divisional playoff defeat that saw Johnson’s offense melt down and multiple bad playcalls, including a trick play that blew up in their faces when wide receiver Jameson Williams threw an interception.
Back to the Same Old Lions?: Perhaps the most herculean accomplishment by Dan Campbell since taking over as head coach of the Lions was dispelling the SOL, or “Same Old Lions”, acronym that had long hung over one of the NFL’s perennial underachieving franchises. Coming off of a Week 1 loss that showed they clearly miss both Ben Johnson and former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (now with the New York Jets), the character and resolve of Campbell’s program will be tested as its success has now led to coaching staff attrition. It’ll be especially important for them to respond well in front of their home crowd at Ford Field, who have become too used to high hopes crumbling over the years.
Bears vs. Lions prediction, pick
While the Lions are currently favored at -5.5, I’m leaning towards the Bears in this matchup in large part because of Ben Johnson returning to haunt his former team now and into the future — Especially since he knows full well what Campbell likes and will try to do against a team that had outplayed the Minnesota Vikings for three quarters on Monday night. Should that come to pass, it’ll create a situation not seen in Detroit in some time, as it will make all that Campbell had built up look far more fragile than it did while the Lions were playing some of the best football they ever have these last two years. Pick: Bears +5.5
