DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions showed they can pile up points just fine without Ben Johnson calling plays.
Jared Goff threw for 334 yards and matched a career high with five touchdown passes, including a career-high three scores to Amon-Ra St. Brown, to help bounce back with a 52-21 win over the on Sunday.
The Lions (1-1) dropped the opener at Green Bay and displayed resilience as they have consistently under coach Dan Campbell, avoiding consecutive losses in the regular season over the last 2 1/2 years.
“I knew the guys would respond,” Campbell said.
Detroit had more than 500 yards on offense with five passing touchdowns and two scores on the ground for the first time in franchise history, and averaged a team-record 8.8 yards per play with offensive coordinator John Morton calling plays.
“This train keeps rolling and it’s always going to start with the players,” Campbell said.
The Bears (0-2) turned the ball over twice in the first half, leading to a 28-14 deficit that was too large to overcome in Johnson’s return to the city where he became an offensive coordinator and one of the NFL’s top coaching candidates.
“It is not demoralizing at all,” Johnson insisted. “We have to play better.”
There’s no doubt about that.
Chicago turned it over on downs in each half, had eight penalties and gave up four sacks.
The Lions were three points from matching a franchise record for points in a game in the regular season, and the Bears were three points from tying the most they’ve allowed.
Chicago’s Caleb Williams was 19 of 30 for 207 yards with two touchdowns to Rome Odunze, a 28-yard pass to answer Detroit’s game-opening touchdown and a 6-yard throw to make it 21-14 late in the first half.
Williams, selected No. 1 overall last year when the was in Detroit, also threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted and was taken out midway through the fourth quarter because Johnson said the game was out of reach.
“You always point the finger at yourself before you point a finger at anybody else,” Williams said.
Goff, who completed 23 of 28 passes, also watched the final minutes from the sideline after helping last year’s highest-scoring team get back on track.
Goff got the ball to Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in the running game and St. Brown and Jameson Williams through the air.
The Lions took advantage of a break late in the first half when 6 seconds were put on the clock after they appeared to run out of time, leading to Johnson waving his team off the field only to have them return for another snap.
Goff threw a 4-yard pass to St. Brown to give Detroit a 14-point lead just before halftime and connected with him for scores in the third and fourth quarter.
St. Brown finished with nine catches for 115 yards and also lined up as a running back, gaining 6 yards on a carry to convert a third down.
“He’s as good as they get in our league,” Goff said. “He’s a stud. He does everything in the run game, everything in the pass game. As reliable of a player as I’ve ever thrown to in my life.”
Gibbs and Montgomery combined for 151 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
“They mixed it up really well,” Johnson said softly.
Injuries
Bears: Starting DB Kyler Gordon (hamstring) was inactive. Starting LB T.J. Edwards (hamstring) and DB Jaylon Johnson (groin) left the game with injuries.
Lions: DE Marcus Davenport, who had the team’s first sack this season in the third quarter, left the game with ankle and shoulder injuries. Backup TE Shane Zylstra (ankle) was hurt during the game.
Up next
Bears: Host Dallas on Sept. 21.
Lions: Play at Baltimore on Sept. 22.
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