Well, that didn’t go according to plan. The Bears got beat in every phase on Sunday in Detroit, spoiling Ben Johnson’s return to the place where he became a respected offensive mind worthy of a head-coaching gig.

That wasn’t a complete shock considering the Lions’ talent level and recent track record, especially when accounting for Detroit’s Week 1 disaster versus Green Bay.

But 52-21 is something different altogether. That’s an unusual score that indicates something really wrong with the team that got worked. That has led to some serious questions within the fan base about the state of the Bears and how far they have to go relative to expectation.

Let’s go through some of the biggest overreactions coming out of that Week 2 loss to the Lions:

Ryan Poles bears blame for the 0-2 start

Overreaction?: Yes and no

Poles’ major pickups via free agency and trades haven’t panned out to this point, most notably left guard Jonah Jackson. A pair of his three second-round NFL draft picks (offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and defensive tackle Shemar Turner) were healthy inactives in Week 2. No. 10 overall selection Colston Loveland hasn’t been involved in the game plan much to this early point, while fellow first-round tight end Tyler Warren is performing well in Indianapolis.

Those are issues that have impacted this poor start. This is also the type of way-too-early conversation — this Loveland vs. Warren comparison after two weeks is insane — that comes after getting blown out.

In addition, it was also clear that the talent on board was routinely beat by the Lions on both sides of the ball, to the point that the Bears were non-competitive at times. So, yeah, this hot take has a point.

The counter: It’s so, so early.

This season is two weeks old, and the Bears weren’t expected to be awesome out of the gate. They weren’t expected to struggle this much, either. There’s plenty of room for improvement, with the coaches on staff capable of developing talent. There’s potential for far better on this team, even if that hasn’t been seen to this point. That’s why we’ve got to hold off on a longer-term evaluation right now. For as rough as this start was, it’ll feel much different if the Bears win the next two and enter the bye week at .500.

New coach, same problems

Overreaction?: Yes

The Bears are 0-2 on the season and within the NFC North. That’s a rough start by any metric. Those losses also contain a fourth-quarter collapse and a blowout loss, another bad sign that the Bears aren’t competitive enough.

While fans wanted a better start to the Johnson era, there should be no confidence lost in his leadership or schematics. Same thing goes for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

Those two have built the culture and attention to detail required of good NFL teams. The execution and finishing ability remains lacking. Both of those things must be taught. Yep, even the killer instinct. Teams that haven’t won in a while often struggle in one-score games or big moments until they’re successful a few times. The Bears need to get over that hump in a hurry.

They have to be sharper overall, develop consistency and avoid the errors and penalties that have killed them to this point. Once that happens, the Bears will be a far more competitive team.

The Bears pass rush remains a big problem

Overreaction?: No

General manager Ryan Poles invested heavily in the defensive line, bringing Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo in on bigger-money deals. He expected production leaps from Montez Sweat and Gervon Dexter Sr., to help increase pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

That didn’t happen against the Lions. Quarterback Jared Goff was comfortably able to make plays from the pocket, which always spells trouble for opponents. Goff was near perfect, with 334 yards, five touchdowns, no picks and a 156.0 passer rating. The Bears didn’t sack him and generated just six pressures all day.

That won’t cut it against most NFL quarterbacks, let alone one with explosive playmakers throughout the pattern. That’s how 52 points get put up. It’s a troubling trend to start the season, but it’s early yet and there’s talent up front to turn things around.

The Bears have also played two stout offensive lines, so it’s possible things will even out in Weeks 3 and 4, against the Cowboys and Raiders, respectively. If it doesn’t, it’s right for red flags to go up.

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