NFL Preview-Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles-Can Ben Johnson's strategy work?

"But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come back again into being: nor can the dead ever be brought back to life." -Sun Tzu-

As the 2026 NFL season goes into week three, fans already noticed things are not what corporate Talking Heads harped on weeks before the season kicked off. The most notable is the Dan Campbell led Detroit Lions. Two years ago, the Detroit Lions were the talk of the NFL as they made their Super Bowl runs in 2023 and 2024. But that was the past.

But corporate media didn't learn. Weeks before the first NFL game kicked off, the Talking Heads once again defied logic (along with a good dose of reality) and touted the Lions as Super Bowl contenders.

Today is the present and today is also reality. Reality for the Lions is their coach Dan Campbell crying after the Lions lost on the road to the Bills in Buffalo. That brings us to part of the Sun Tzu quote "...a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come back...".

The glory of Lions greatness didn't die in a single game in Buffalo-it died over a year ago in Detroit. The chance of Super Bowl glory died in 2025 when offensive coordinator Ben Johnson departed to become head coach for the Chicago Bears while defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn departed to become heach coach of the NY Jets. The result was this: after being touted by corporate media as Super Bowl finalists before the start of the 2025 season, the Detroit Lions finished in last place in the NFC North with a 9-8 record.

Sports media reported the Lions collapse being caused by bad play calling (trust me, the Detroit fans will confirm this) along with injuries to key personnel. When it comes to injuries, nobody is more responsible than Dan Campbell. As pointed out ad nauseam in my previous Lion articles, Dan Campbell rode his players in games the same way a bad jockey rode a horse-he whipped them until they collapsed.

The final death gasp for the Lions was their brutal playoff loss at home against the lowly Washington Commanders. Those in the know knew one thing-it was over for Campbell and the Lions. It was a matter of time before everybody else realized it. As Sun Tzu would say about the Lions , "...a Kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come back...". The Lions are destroyed in spirit and it will never return under Dan Campbell.

It's not that Detroit was just destroyed. That happened to the city back in the 1960s. We're talking about the team. Although the team exists, it is a shell of its 2023-2024 glory. Many of the veteran players remain, but the trust of players believing Dan Campbell leading them to Super Bowl glory is gone. Not only do the players know it, Dan Campbell's breaking down in frustration confirms that in the back of his mind, he knows the "kingdom" was destroyed and he will never get the Lions back to glory.

In the NFC North, the window on greatness is closing on another team-the Green Bay Packers. Led by Matt Lafleur, the Packers are like a boxer that took too many punches. In the case of Lafleur, it wasn't punches that knocked him out. It was an incredible run of last minute fourth quarter collapses leaving Matt Lafleur staggering in front of the media like he took twenty rabbit punches to the back of his head.

When it comes to opportunity for greatness, one should know this quote from 4-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Jesse Owens: "It all goes so fast, and character makes the difference when it's close." This quote is a perfect example of Matt Eberflus' last year as head coach of the Chicago Bears. The Bears were evolving into a very good team under Eberflus. There were some losses, but Bear fans sensed their team was pointed in the right direction under Eberflus. That ended after a devastating last minute loss to the Washington Commanders. The Bears collapsed. Or more correctly, Eberflus leading the Bears collapsed and he was fired.

All looked dark for Bear fans until January, 2025 when a very happy-faced Ryan Poles, General Manager for the Chicago Bears, announced he hired offensive savant Ben Johnson away from the Detroit Lions.

All of this brings up the question: What does Sun Tzu, continued harping about Dan Campbell, Jesse Owens, the collapsing Lions, Matt Lafleur, destroyed kingdoms, and closing windows of greatness have to do with handicapping a football game? Everything. Read my Circa Million and Survivor selections and learn.

1). Atlanta Falcons (+4-) This game is one of those "free money" picks.

2). NY Jets (+6-) If you read the article, you know why the Jets were selected.

3). Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1) This has been pointed out in the past and will be pointed out again today: One look at Baker Mayfield tells you NOBODY stole his lunch money in grade school. The Vikings don't have a field general that can outdo Baker. *SURVIVOR PICK*

4). Las Vegas Raiders (+3) Weakest pick of the week as we know the Saints will be a NFC SOUTH powerhouse by the end of the season. Will Saints lose to the improving Raiders and prove they have a few more games to play before becoming a top level team?

5). Chicago Bears (+4-) Did you think you were going to get a long explanation about why the Bears would beat the Eagles? Fat chance of that happening because it won't matter who plays quarterback for the Bears. They'll win by at least 10.

Last week:3-2

Season: 7-3