The NFL missed a big opportunity to bring in some major viewership based on how they scheduled a certain game on the Bears 2025 season

This game easily could have drawn in some outside attention worthy of a top slot. Given how things ended for the Lions in 2024, numerous fans are still bitter with Ben Johnson for jumping ship and joining a division rival.

It's going to be loud when the Johnson-led offense steps onto Ford Field in Week 2, and it sucks it's going to be an early-window game as well.

The Bears will, however, be opening the season on primetime with a Monday Night Football matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in Ben Johnson's coaching debut to close out Week 1. In Week 2, the primetime matchups will be Commanders at Packers (TNF), Falcons at Vikings (SNF), Buccaneers at Texans (MNF), Chargers at Raiders (MNF).

You can't tell me that the Falcons-Vikings matchup makes for a better nationally televised game than Bears-Lions given the circumstances of that specific game. I mean the league would rather everyone watch Michael Penix Jr. go up against J.J. McCarthy?

Even though Johnson hasn't specifically mentioned returning to Detroit and the response he could receive from the fans, Lions head coach Dan Campbell has brought up the thought of facing his former coordinator earlier in the offseason.

"We line up and we play to win no matter who's over there," Campbell said. "He's still my friend and I love him dearly, but we're going to have to play him twice a year."

As for the second matchup against the Lions, that will take place in Week 18 with the date and time still to be determined, which makes sense considering potential playoff implications at stake around the league.

Moral of the story, the NFL heavily undervalued what this Week 2 matchup means and what kind of audience it could have brought as a potential Sunday Night Football date.