I opened the Bears mailbag Tuesday morning expecting messages expressing anger, vitriol and disgust.

That’s what a 52-21 loss to Detroit will do to a fan base high on optimism just a few weeks back. The Bears are 0-2 overall and 0-2 in the NFC North.

This is not the start many wanted or expected. And it wasn’t just the end result. It was the manner in which they got beaten – a fourth-quarter collapse in primetime and a blowout loss in head coach Ben Johnson’s return to Detroit.

There’s a lot to criticize, and we’ll get to that in this Bair Mail installment. But there was a shocking number of messages from Lions fans, or friends of Lions fans, who encouraged the Bears faithful to trust the process and have faith in Johnson.

To quote Noah Cariño from Detroit: “As a Lions fan, I’ve seen what it’s like to climb out of the basement. And from the outside, it really feels like the Bears are starting to build something. You’re not far off. Respect from Detroit.”

I’m sorry, what?? To have three submissions like that was not on my bingo card. There’s plenty to fix, but the faith in Johnson has not wavered one bit, even after two bitter losses to start the season.

This is your forum, and you put topics on the table. Let’s discuss the necessary fixes and unwavering faith in the head coach.

Matt Rogers from Moline, Ill.

Is something wrong with Colston Loveland? Was targeted just once yesterday and has 2 catches in 2 games. A left tackle with that #10 pick is looking pretty good about now.

Bair: Many were left wondering the same thing, Matt. Colston Loveland hasn’t been involved in the passing game during the first two games, with two catches in Week 1 and none on Sunday in Detroit.

Tight ends overall have not been part of the early game plans. Cole Kmet has three catches for 60 yards, though two of those came with the Lions game well out of reach. That’s really low and unexpected considering their involvement during training camp.

Johnson said the tight ends would be doing dirty work in the run game and in pass protection during Week 1, but an uptick was expected against the Lions. That didn’t happen.

While it’s super early, Matt’s point is an eyebrow raiser that’s compounded from a fan perspective by Braxton Jones’ struggles at left tackle and fellow first-round tight end Tyler Warren off to a hot start in Indianapolis.

Johnson said the Bears will look into ways to get Loveland involved, but his bigger point centered on earned opportunities. Loveland must continue pushing in practice to earn more snaps and opportunities. Right now, Kmet is the primary tight end who is in on single tight-end sets.

It’s only two weeks, but top 10 picks are expected to make an instant impact. There is a learning curve, and rookies should be allowed to go on it.

Jaxon from Streamwood, Ill.

How will the defense bounce back after that horrible week? How will it affect the defense with Jaylon Johnson being out the rest of the season?

Bair: Those two questions are tied together, Jaxon, but it must be pointed out that we don’t know if Jaylon Johnson’s lost for the season. Though listening to him talk about his groin injury on Monday, that sure seems likely.

Losing Jaylon Johnson for an extended stretch is a massive deal. He’s the Bears’ best player regardless of position and is a true shutdown corner who can cover even the elite receivers well. There’s no substitute for a one-of-one player like that. Nahshon Wright has been solid and has solid ball skills, but he has proven vulnerable to penalties and receptions allowed on deep shots.

The Bears have more problems than the cornerback spot, as the Lions exposed in a Week 2 thrashing full of explosive plays. It starts with a startling lack of pass rush, especially off the edge. The Bears aren’t getting home enough, especially when rushing four.

“It’s our entire unit right now,” Johnson said. “We need to affect the quarterback as a whole. We’ll certainly look at where we can help him (Sweat) so he can succeed a little bit more in terms of getting that done. Dayo (Odeyingbo) on the other side, when he gets the 1-on-1s, we need to see a little bit more production there.

“And then I’d like to see from our defensive tackles a little more push to the interior of the pocket so we can put the linemen on the lap of the quarterback. It really takes everybody, and when we pressure, we’ve got to make them feel that as well. It’s a combination of all of it. It’s something that we’re certainly going to address.”

Kenny M from Elk Grove, Ill.

One of my closest friends grew up a Lions fan in Detroit and he told me to be patient with how things are unfolding under Ben. And while I am trying to be patient, I couldn’t help but feel at least a little bitter after that loss. That said, after listening to Ben and the players during their press conferences yesterday, I’m feeling a lot better.

Yes, there’s work to do, and yes, the team needs to improve; but I still have faith. Faith in Ben, in the coaching staff and in the players.

We move forward.

Bair: Had to include one of these submissions. There were just so many. Kenny’s point is not lost, despite the poor results. Ben Johnson is a smart and capable coach who hired a smart and capable coaching staff.

Getting the Bears right was always going to take time. The early season was always going to look worse than later portions. There might’ve been an underestimation in exactly how much work Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had to do.

These losses say that in plain text. The Bears and their fans have suffered NFC North embarrassments for years and years and falsely hoped that they would stop right away. That hasn’t happened. Look, this team has flaws. It’s not nearly as bad as it looked on Sunday.

Grady Jarrett believes the Bears’ response to this Lions loss will be a “defining moment.” I agree. I’ve covered non-competitive teams. This is not one. I’ve covered teams that don’t care. This is not one. It’s about rebounding, holding resolve and getting back to work.

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