Ben Johnson’s first official game as head coach of the Chicago Bears didn’t go as planned, with his team falling short on Monday Night Football. Now, in Week 2, Johnson heads back to Detroit—this time as the enemy—when his Bears face the Lions at Ford Field.
But if Johnson expected a warm welcome from his old squad, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown made it clear that won’t be the case.
“Week 2 is going to be insane, the atmosphere is going to be electric,” St. Brown said on the St. Brown Podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother Equanimeous. “But the second Ben walks in there, we’re booing him. I don’t care—everyone’s booing him. I’d love to just sit in on one of his meetings as a head coach, because that’s not him. I know him too well. He’s not like that.”
Johnson’s Detroit ties run deep. He joined the Lions in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach and worked his way up to offensive coordinator in 2022. Under his guidance, the Lions became one of the league’s most explosive teams, finishing top five in both total yards and scoring during his three seasons leading the offense. Detroit even captured consecutive NFC North titles in 2023 and 2024, capped by a 15-2 campaign last year where they averaged 33.2 points per game.
Despite Johnson’s success, both his Bears and the Lions are 0-1 to start the 2025 season. Chicago let an 11-point lead slip away against the Vikings in Week 1, while Detroit fell to Green Bay. St. Brown had a modest outing in that opener, recording four catches for 45 yards.
The former fourth-round pick has been a cornerstone of Detroit’s offense, posting three straight seasons with over 100 catches and 1,100 receiving yards, along with multiple Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections. His brother Equanimeous, meanwhile, last suited up in 2024 with the New Orleans Saints after previous stints in Green Bay and Chicago.
The Lions dominated the Bears in 2024, sweeping the season series. This weekend, the two sides meet again at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
Johnson, asked about his upcoming return to Detroit, kept his focus on the task at hand. “It’s about winning the football game, plain and simple,” he said. “We know it’s going to be a tough atmosphere—Ford Field has become one of the hardest places to play in the NFL. Communication will be key, and this game will tell us a lot about who we are.”
