After several training camp practices, there are a lot of positives coming out for the Detroit Lions. Forget the loss in this year’s Hall of Fame Game; that’s almost meaningless at this point. Despite many questions surrounding the team, Detroit looks to be in good shape.
Across the NFC North, though, there is another team that’s starting to make some noise and it shouldn’t come as a surprise to Lions fans. After Tuesday’s Chicago Bears practice, many beat reporters called it the “toughest” and “most physical” they have ever witnessed.
Since Ben Johnson left Detroit to coach the Bears earlier this year, fans have certainly had their share of opinions and emotions on the subject. But, as Lions players and coaches would tell anybody, Johnson’s intensity and attention to detail is no surprise.
The Lions should be bracing for an even tougher Bears team under Ben Johnson
On one hand, this is still just training camp. Not to mention, these are local Chicago reporters who have been accustomed to watching the likes of Matt Eberflus, Matt Nagy and John Fox over the last decade or so.
To think that this was the most intense practice they’ve witnessed isn’t hard to believe, if you consider the bar that’s been set.
But, on the other hand, the Lions know Johnson well. They understand his capabilities and tendencies. So, looking back at last year’s near-loss on Thanksgiving, for example, Detroit should be bracing for a much tougher fight.
READ MORE: Lions add much needed depth at cornerback amid injuries to secondary group
If the Eberflus Bears could give those Lions a run for their money, then the Johnson-led Bears should be able to do a whole lot more damage. The Lions don’t just know Johnson well, but he knows them well.
John Morton, Johnson’s successor, spent time in Detroit alongside the now-Bears head coach. So, the two of them having a relationship is certainly worth noting as well. The familiarity between both teams means they’ll have to engage in even more detailed game-planning going forward.
Wil the Bears enter this season as a more disciplined and physical team? That seems likely, knowing Johnson and also hearing everything that’s come out of Bears training camp lately. Whether or not it’s biased opinions from beat reporters, the Lions should know Johnson well enough to understand they should take it more seriously than not.
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