Every time an NFL team hits its bye week, fans get the same recycled talk: rest, self-scouting, adjustments. Coaches love to say, “We’ll use this week to clean things up.” Most of them come back looking just as sloppy as before. But Ben Johnson? He’s not most coaches.
If you’ve been paying attention since Johnson took the wheel of Detroit’s offense in 2022, you already know the man doesn’t waste time. He uses that extra week like a damn weapon. And the numbers back it up: under Johnson, the Lions went 2-1 after bye weeks — and the trendline is screaming upward. What started as a disaster in 2022 turned into a full-blown demolition derby by 2024.
Let’s break it down, because this isn’t your standard “coach improves over time” narrative. This is about how one of the sharpest young offensive minds in the league *learned to weaponize rest *— and why Bears fans should start thinking bigger than a typical midseason reboot.
2022: The Baptism by Fire (aka The Dallas Disaster)
We’ll start with the ugly. Johnson’s first post-bye game in 2022 came against Dallas — a road matchup where the Lions’ offense managed just 246 total yards and coughed up a 24-6 loss. That’s not just bad, that’s Dan Campbell threatening to chew kneecaps out of frustration bad.
But let’s give Johnson a little grace here. It was his first full season calling plays, Campbell had recently reinserted himself into play-calling, and the offense was still finding its identity. You had Jared Goff learning a new system, a banged-up line, and a running game that didn’t know what kind of team it wanted to be.
It was a learning year — one that exposed where the Lions were fragile: protection schemes, motion timing, and turnover discipline. Still, Johnson’s film work after that loss was the foundation for what came next. He didn’t just fix problems; he redesigned the architecture.
2023: The Breakthrough in L.A.
Fast forward one year, same situation — road game after the bye, this time against the Chargers. Different story. Detroit walked into SoFi Stadium and turned it into a track meet, outlasting the Chargers 41-38 in one of the most chaotic shootouts of the year.
The Lions put up 493 total yards, with nearly 200 coming on the ground. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs looked like a two-headed monster straight out of a Madden fantasy. Johnson didn’t just come out with new plays — he came out with a new personality for the offense. It was fast, balanced, and perfectly tailored to the roster.
That’s what Johnson does with a bye: he doesn’t rest, he retools. He finds your weakness, your predictability, your habits — and then he nukes them. His motion-heavy, play-action-infused offense caught the Chargers’ defense guessing all day. And when Johnson smells hesitation? He goes for the throat.
That 2023 game wasn’t just a win; it was a proof of concept. It showed that Johnson’s system could evolve, reload, and hit harder every time it reset.
2024: Revenge Served Hot Against Dallas
Two years after that embarrassing 24-6 loss, Johnson circled Dallas again on the calendar — same team, same post-bye setup. But this time, he brought a blowtorch.
Final score: Lions 47, Cowboys 9.
Let that sink in.
Detroit racked up 492 yards, 184 on the ground, and 308 through the air. Jared Goff looked surgical, throwing for three touchdowns with zero turnovers. The Lions forced five takeaways on defense and never once coughed up the ball.
This wasn’t just a win; it was a clinic. Johnson’s offense was humming like a well-oiled supercar, slicing through Dan Quinn’s defense like it was made of tissue paper. Every motion, every shift, every play-action fake was timed to perfection. The Cowboys bit hard on misdirection all game long, and Johnson kept feeding them poison candy.
That’s the Ben Johnson post-bye experience: prepare for a different animal. The man spends his off-week like a film-obsessed maniac dissecting every frame, finding every inefficiency, and building his next ambush.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
If you zoom out across those three years, the progression is wild:
| Year | Opponent | Result | Total Yards | Rushing Yards | Points Scored | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cowboys | L 24-6 | 246 | 108 | 6 | 2 |
| 2023 | Chargers | W 41-38 | 493 | 193 | 41 | 1 |
| 2024 | Cowboys | W 47-9 | 492 | 184 | 47 | 0 |
Average post-bye output: 31.3 points, 410 yards, and a rushing attack that averaged 161.7 yards per game. That’s not a trend — that’s an evolution.
Turnover margin flipped from negative to elite. Offensive efficiency skyrocketed. Johnson didn’t just improve his playbook; he improved the entire ecosystem—motion efficiency, red zone conversion, and balance between power runs and play-action shots.
The Secret Sauce: Motion, Play-Action, and Ruthless Adaptation
Johnson’s offenses have always leaned on motion and play-action, but post-bye? That’s when he dials it up to 11.
Per ESPN Stats & Info, the Lions’ motion usage jumped nearly 20% after their bye in 2023, and their yards per play on motion snaps climbed to an absurd 8.8 by 2024. That’s elite territory — think Kyle Shanahan meets Andy Reid, but with Motor City grit.
And when the run game clicks? Forget it. The Lions averaged 4.7 yards per carry under Johnson overall, but post-bye, that number often jumped to over 5.0. Healthy line, rested backs, and a refreshed scheme — it’s a cheat code.
The red zone? Even nastier. Tight end packages and misdirection plays became Johnson’s calling card, creating wide-open touchdowns for guys like Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright. You could almost hear opposing defensive coordinators begging for the bye week to end faster.
Health, Preparation, and the Chicago Implications
Here’s the kicker: Johnson’s post-bye success directly tracks with roster health. When his line was banged up in 2022, the offense sputtered. When it was intact in 2024, they looked unstoppable.
Now, Johnson’s bringing that same system to Chicago — a franchise that’s been allergic to post-bye success. The numbers don’t just look bad, they look cursed:
- Matt Eberflus: 1-2 after bye
- Matt Nagy: 0-4 after bye
- John Fox: 0-3 after bye
That’s nine straight post-bye faceplants. So yeah, expectations in Chicago are subterranean. But if history’s any guide, Johnson might be exactly the kind of guy who breaks that curse.
If 2022 in Detroit was his warm-up, 2025 in Chicago might be his next 2023 — a year where the offense stumbles early, learns, and then explodes. And by 2026 or 2027? Expect the Bears to come out of the bye like a pissed-off freight train.
What Bears Fans Should Expect
Based on Johnson’s arc, the Bears’ post-bye offensive identity should look something like this:
Year 1 (2025): Learning curve, growing pains, flashes of brilliance.
Year 2 (2026): Consistent offensive rhythm, better use of motion and play-action, red zone growth.
Year 3 (2027): Fully weaponized offense — high tempo, elite efficiency, and that unmistakable Johnson flair.
It’ll hinge on a few things:
- Offensive line health and continuity – Johnson’s scheme needs chemistry up front. No shortcuts.
- Running back tandem efficiency – Expect him to lean on a combo, not a workhorse.
- Creative motion and misdirection – Watch how he hides intentions pre-snap.
- Tight end versatility – His TE usage is not a side note; it’s a cornerstone.
When those four hit, Johnson’s post-bye record isn’t just good — it’s inevitable.
Final Verdict
Ben Johnson doesn’t come out of a bye looking rested. He comes out looking reborn. His offensive game plans after the break have shown clear, measurable evolution every single year he’s been in charge.
If you’re a Bears fan, stop worrying about “rust” or “momentum.” This isn’t the old Chicago where bye weeks meant confusion and flat starts. This is a coach who turns reflection into reinvention.
When the Bears come out of their first bye under Johnson, expect something different. Expect balance. Expect creativity. Expect violence on offense. Because if his Detroit trend holds true, the only ones who’ll need a nap after the bye… are the defenses trying to stop him.
