The Chicago Bears took care of business on Sunday with a 19-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings. It wasn't pretty, but then again, few of their wins have been this year. What matters is they're 7-3 and suddenly in control of the NFC North. There are seven games left to play. Three wins will get them to ten and likely put them in position for a playoff spot. Up next is the Pittsburgh Steelers and likely their last matchup with Aaron Rodgers before the Hall of Famer calls it a career. However, there is massive news happening with the opponent Chicago will face after that.
Per usual, the Philadelphia Eagles have been cruising this season. They took down the Detroit Lions on Sunday night, improving to 8-2 and in full control of the #1 seed. However, that victory came at a massive cost. Lane Johnson, their future Hall of Fame right tackle, exited with a foot injury. It was soon revealed he'd suffered a Lisfranc sprain. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks of action, meaning he won't be available for November 28th when the Bears come to town.
How significant is this loss? Since 2013, when Johnson was drafted, the Eagles have been 105-55-1 when he plays. They are 15-23 when he doesn't.
The Chicago Bears can meet Philadelphia on equal ground.
Right now, the Eagles are the superior team. They have an array of talent across the board and have continued proving it each week. That said, things haven't been going well for the offense. In their past six games, they've scored 17 or fewer points four times. That was with Johnson in the lineup. With him out, it's impossible to say how much worse it could get. Jalen Hurts tends to hold the ball a lot at quarterback. He gets away with it because Philadelphia's protection has always been great. The last time Johnson missed a game, Hurts was sacked six times. You cannot understate his impact on their fortunes.
It's also worth noting Dennis Allen has given the Eagles problems in past meetings. Here is the number of points his defense gave up in the seven games he faced them with New Orleans.
- 15
- 10
- 40
- 24
- 7
- 14
- 39
Put all of this together, and it's not unreasonable to think the Chicago Bears have a legitimate chance to pull off an upset at Lincoln Financial Field in 11 days. The big key will be whether they score any points against what is fast becoming one of the NFL's elite defenses. If Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams can establish an early lead, it might force the Eagles to play a style they're not comfortable with, especially without Johnson.
