When Ben Johnson delivered a blunt message to the Chicago Bears ahead of the NFL playoffs, it immediately grabbed attention.
“If you’re not prepared to play the next five weeks or if you’re thinking about anything else — thinking about booking a flight, vacations or anything — don’t come in.”
According to rookie tight end Colston Loveland, that was the message Johnson gave to the Bears players ahead of their upcoming playoff game against the Packers.
It was direct. It was intense. And it sounded exactly like the kind of no-excuses, all-in mentality fans want to hear from a head coach.
But for many in Detroit, it also raised an uncomfortable question:
Did Ben Johnson just give advice to the Bears that he didn’t fully follow with the Lions?
A Dominant Regular Season That Set Expectations Sky-High
The Detroit Lions finished the 2024 regular season at 15–2, earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The offense was the engine behind that run, and Johnson was widely viewed as the best offensive coordinator in football.
Everything pointed toward a deep postseason push, maybe even a Super Bowl run.
Then came the divisional-round matchup at Ford Field against the Washington Commanders.
The result? A stunning home loss and an offensive (and defensive) performance that looked nothing like the unit that steamrolled the league for four months.
The Interview Timeline Matters — and So Does Perception
You see, all of Ben Johnson’s virtual head-coaching interviews took place the week before the Lions were eliminated by the Commanders on January 18, 2025.
Here’s the verified timeline:
- Early January 2025: Teams requested interviews while Detroit had a first-round bye
- January 9–11, 2025: Johnson conducted virtual interviews
- January 10, 2025: Interview with the Patriots
- January 11, 2025: Interview with the Bears
- January 21, 2025: Johnson was hired as Bears head coach
Yes, Johnson followed the rules set by the NFL regarding interviews while his team was still in the playoffs, but there is no question that 100% of his attention was not on running the Lions’ offense, how could it be?
Why the Debate Refuses to Go Away
The lingering issue isn’t scheduling — it’s mental bandwidth.
Preparing an offense for a Super Bowl run is a full-time obsession. At the same time, Johnson was navigating life-changing conversations about becoming a franchise head coach, evaluating rosters, ownership structures, front offices, and long-term visions.
Can those two worlds be completely separated?
That’s where Lions fans circle back to the Commanders game, a night when Detroit’s offense looked disjointed, conservative, and oddly out of rhythm.
Fair or not, many fans connected the dots.
The Irony of the Message
That’s what makes Johnson’s quote in Chicago hit differently.
He’s now demanding absolute mental commitment. No distractions. No future planning. No looking ahead. This goes for many of his players who are set to become free agents following the season.
It’s the right message.
But it’s also one that inevitably invites reflection on Detroit’s ending, especially when the collapse came at home, with a Super Bowl path wide open.
Johnson may genuinely believe he handled everything the right way. He may be right.
But once you say, “If you’re thinking about anything else — don’t come in,” you open the door to comparisons.
Final Thought
Ben Johnson didn’t break rules. He didn’t abandon the Lions. And there’s no proof he wasn’t fully prepared.
Still, leadership messages carry weight, especially when they contrast so sharply with recent history.
In Chicago, Johnson is setting a standard of total focus.
In Detroit, fans are left wondering whether that same standard was possible, or realistic, at the most important moment of the 2024 season.
One Response
Benedict Johnson is also a hypocrite