Chicago, November 17, 2025 — Chicago Bears legend and Super Bowl XX–winning head coach Mike Ditka unleashed one of his most explosive rants in years after a blatant, uncalled facemask by Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips on running back Travis Homer sparked outrage across the league. The incident occurred during the Bears’ dramatic 19–17 comeback victory and immediately drew scrutiny from analysts, fans, and former players.
Speaking on “The Score 670,” later reposted by ESPN Chicago, Ditka delivered a blistering statement that instantly went viral. He declared that he was “sick” of the cliché “don’t blame the refs,” insisting the no-call was far beyond a routine mistake. According to Ditka, what happened to Travis Homer — whose facemask was yanked twice in full view of the referee — was “not a missed call but a crime,” and he made it clear that Chicago fans should not be expected to stay silent about what he called “outright injustice.”
The controversial play unfolded at 8:12 in the third quarter on a 3rd-and-5 at the Vikings’ 18-yard line. Homer took the handoff and was immediately grabbed by Phillips, who violently twisted his facemask, sending him to the ground. A referee was positioned barely two yards away yet never reached for his flag. FOX broadcasters reacted instantly, calling it “as obvious as it gets,” while the Bears were forced to settle for a field goal instead of a potential touchdown opportunity.
The clip posted by journalist Jordan Schultz surpassed 2.1 million views within hours, igniting a firestorm among Bears fans. Social media users revived the term “Bears tax,” a long-standing joke about Chicago being short-changed by officiating. Ditka’s comments poured fuel on the anger as hashtags #FireTheRefs and #DaBears shot into Chicago’s top trending topics. Former linebacker Lance Briggs publicly backed Ditka, saying he “spoke for every single one of us.” Even head coach Matt Eberflus, usually composed, acknowledged in his postgame presser that the play was “obvious” and would be sent to the league office for review.
Despite the controversy, Chicago walked away with a thrilling 19–17 win, sealed by Cairo Santos’ 48-yard field goal as time expired, improving the team to 7–3. But even with the victory, the missed facemask remains one of the most talked-about moments of the season — and Mike Ditka, at age 86, may have delivered the final blow to the old mantra “Don’t blame the refs,” reminding the NFL that Chicago will not stay quiet when fairness is on the line.
This is the kind of adversity the Philadelphia Eagles have avoided to this point in the season. Now, they’ll have to figure out how to replace one of the NFL’s elite players.
Multiple reports on Monday, November 17, said that 5-time NFL All-Pro right offensive tackle and 2-time Super Bowl champion Lane Johnson could land on injured reserve and miss 4-6 weeks with a Lisfranc sprain in his foot suffered in a 16-9 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 11.
“Eagles five-time All-Pro OT Lane Johnson suffered a Lisfranc injury during Sunday night’s win over the Lions, per sources,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account. “It is not expected to be a season ending injury, but he could be headed to injured reserve.”
Johnson left the game against the Lions and didn’t return, as did center Cam Jurgens. Johnson was replaced in the lineup by Fred Johnson.
The 6-foot-6, 325-pound Johnson is widely considered one of the greatest offensive linemen not just in Eagles history but in NFL history and a likely future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Johnson is in his 13th season and signed a 1-year, $25 million contract extension this offseason and has approximately $163.4 million in career earnings.
“Eagles OT Lane Johnson, one of the game’s best, suffered a Lisfranc sprain Sunday,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account. “He’s out the next 4-6 weeks because of the foot injury, but will seek a second opinion and more tests. This likely lands him on IR, but belief is not season-ending.”
Johnson’s latest injury underlined bigger injury issues the Eagles have dealt with all season on the offensive line when it comes to their 5 projected starters.
“Here’s an underrated Eagles storyline that could explain Philadelphia’s offensive struggles: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen and Lane Johnson have played every offensive snap in just ONE game this season,” Philly Special’s Anthony DiBona wrote on his official X Account.
“It feels like Lane Johnson might be getting to the point of his career that Jason Peters was at the end, where he’s still really good when he’s on the field, but injuries pull him off relatively frequently,” Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly wrote on X.
“Lane Johnson is a first ballot HOF and one of the best Eagles of all time,” Eagles fan Patrick Philly PMC wrote on his official X account. “But Father Time is undefeated. The Eagles need to find his replacement.”
In Week 10, Johnson left a Monday Night Football win over the Green Bay Packers with an ankle injury and returned to the game.
Now, the Eagles will likely have to figure out how to maneuver the rest of the season without one of the NFL’s dominant blockers.
“The good news is Fred Johnson is a solid Lane Johnson replacement for a few weeks,” Go Birds Pod podcast host Eliot Shorr-Parks wrote on his official X account. “The bad news is now that 6-man OLine they have loved this season is now worse with Matt Pryor in Fred’s place.