For the second time in the 2025 NFL season, the Detroit Lions dealt the Chicago Bears and former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson a loss.
However, unlike their dominating Week Two victory in which they scored a whopping 52 points at Ford Field, Detroit’s Week 18 win by a 16-13 final score carried little meaning in the overall scheme of the season.
Detroit’s 2025 campaign is officially over, as they missed out on claiming their third straight berth in the NFL Playoffs while also having to watch the Bears dethrone them atop the NFC North Division.
The fact that they dealt Johnson, who jumped ship to one of their fiercest divisional rivals, a second loss wasn’t much solace for how a season that began with heavy expectations and promise ultimately ended.
However, there will be a bit of satisfaction on the part of Lions fans after television cameras caught Johnson muttering to himself on the sidelines what appeared to be a major admission.
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Former Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson Was Caught Making A Major Admission
The Bears, who initially trailed the Lions 16-0, mounted a hectic comeback effort and eventually knotted the score thanks to a pair of touchdowns followed by subsequent successful two-point conversions.
Late in regulation, with the Lions threatening, Kevin Byard picked off quarterback Jared Goff and set up what appeared to be a potential game-winning offensive drive for the host Bears.
However, the Bears ultimately decided to punt when faced with a 4th-and-5 from their own 31-yard line. Television cameras panned to Johnson, who appeared to mutter to himself, “Should’ve gone for it.”
Following the final play of the game, which was a 42-yard field goal from Lions kicker Jake Bates to seal the victory, Johnson exchanged a brief handshake with his former boss Dan Campbell at center field before departing for the dressing room.
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Bears Coach Ben Johnson Blasted His Offense After Their Loss To The Lions
In his postgame media availability session, Johnson admitted to being frustrated with the Bears’ offense, which has stumbled into the postseason with consecutive losses.
“I was not pleased with the offense today,” Johnson said.
He added: “We can’t dig ourselves in a hole like that. I was disappointed with the offense as a whole. I let those guys know that. And we’ll be better for it.”
“That’s one we’ll have to take a look at the tape and figure out why that was,” Johnson said. “I didn’t feel like it was one of our more elaborate plans. I felt it was one of our simpler plans. We need to do a better job of executing it and coaching it up.”
Meanwhile, Johnson and the Bears have a Wild Card postseason game to prepare for, as they’ll be hosting the Green Bay Packers at Solder Field on Saturday evening.
It marks the first time that the Bears have appeared in the NFL postseason since 2020, and it’s a considerable accomplishment for Johnson having guided the franchise that he took over not even a full year ago to the playoffs.
Cameras Capture Ben Johnson’s Frustrating Four Word Admission vs. Lions