The Detroit Lions find themselves in a ver different position compared to this point last season. Instead of sitting atop the NFC North and rolling through opponents, Detroit now sits at 7–5, third in the division, while former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has the Chicago Bears thriving at 9–3.

The Lions crushed Chicago 52–21 back on September 14, but that early-season dominance feels like a distant memory. Detroit has lost two of its last three contests, and the lone victory came against a depleted New York Giants team missing its starting quarterback.

It’s becoming an uneasy stretch for Lions fans. Detroit needs to overhaul parts of its approach if it hopes to secure a wild-card berth, and those changes likely need to start with leadership. Since Dan Campbell assumed offensive play-calling responsibilities, the Lions have gone 2–2, a record that includes painful defeats to the Eagles and Packers — losses that might have been avoided with more cautious decision-making.

Adding to the tension, Ben Johnson appeared to take a light jab at his former team while speaking to reporters during Thanksgiving week. Asked what he remembered about last year’s holiday matchup — a 23–20 Lions win over the Bears — Johnson downplayed his memories of the game.

“Honestly, I don’t remember much from last year,” Johnson said. “I barely remember last week.”

Considering it was his final season with Detroit, the comment landed oddly. He did acknowledge, “It was a great game, came right down to the end. From the opposite sideline, it was a big one for Detroit.” But he quickly added, “That’s really all I remember.”