The Detroit Lions made a big statement in their first game against their former offensive coordinator.
John Morton’s offense looked as sharp as the one his predecessor orchestrated for three years, putting up 52 points on Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears.
Of course, the Lions needed to bounce back after a tough outing in Week 1, but there was much more to this game than just that. As pointed out by Lions safety Brian Branch, it was personal.
“We knew coming into this game that this is personal, really, all these games are personal,” Branch said, per ProFootballTalk. “But this one was just, we felt like we’ve been, you know, betrayed from the staff to the players. We love Ben. We still love Ben. He’s a great coach. He’s a great mastermind. But yeah, it was time to get after them.”
Branch said that Johnson could’ve gone “anywhere” to be a head coach, but since he chose to jump ship and stay in the NFC North, he will now have to deal with the consequences of his actions.
Notably, the veteran safety made a strong impact on the game, forcing a fumble and finishing with six tackles and one sack.
The Bears are now 0-2 to start the season, and Johnson has looked way over his head in his first two games as a head coach. He’ll have a chance to get back at Branch and his former team, but he’ll have to wait until the regular-season finale.
