Dan Campbell is never one to mince words. He's also, apparently, not one to share any words if you're the perceived enemy. It doesn't matter if you were a part of some of the most successful regular season teams in Detroit Lions history - if you walk for a divisional rival, Campbell doesn't seem particularly interested in speaking with you.
Campbell revealed on Tuesday to 97.1 The Ticket that, so far this year, he hasn't spoken with former offensive coordinator and now Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson. Johnson has enjoyed a ridiculously successful first year with Chicago, as the Bears seem primed to cinch the NFC North title and a likely 2 seed headed into the postseason. The Lions, on the flip side...well, you know the rest.
Campbell also gave high praise of Johnson to reporters on Monday, the first week of preparation for Detroit's season finale against the Bears on the road.
"Offensively, they're more polished, you know. Ben's done a good job. The system is in. These little things that were there Game 2, Game 1, they've begun to go away. They've got a run game, play action pass, Caleb's playing really well, O-line's playing really well. 25, he's a downhill, hard runner, too. Tight ends playing good, both of them, really all three of them, so, they're playing at a high level. They're doing things well. Much more polished."
Campbell will have to share some words with Johnson, win or lose, in Week 18.
Campbell set to speak to Johnson for the first time all season
It's been the tale of two very different seasons for the Bears and Lions, with the former hitting their stride as of late against tough teams and pulling out wins despite some poorer performances from their offense.
It's dangerous that Caleb Williams is only now beginning to get more efficient as a passer in addition to his ridiculous accuracy and arm, and it seems like everything is clicking for him and his receivers late in the year.
READ MORE: Lions’ season done in by inconsistency up front (but it can be fixed)
As for Detroit, obviously, it was going to be a bit of a growing pain this season without Johnson. John Morton did not prove to have the same stuff as Johnson as a play-caller, leading to a midseason switch from him to Campbell at play-caller. It didn't do much to salvage the year, though, especially with the several key departures on the offensive line that were never properly remedied.
Johnson has been the perfect example of what can happen for a coach who can develop properly within another system and eventually become a head coach. He was with the Lions far longer than maybe even Campbell had anticipated him to be, and he's reaping the benefit of having experienced multiple extra years at OC alongside Campbell and Jared Goff.
While Week 18 will be pretty bitter for Lions fans to digest, it's clear that Campbell still holds a ton of respect for Johnson and what he did for the Lions organization.