The Chicago Bears defense hasn’t been healthy all season. There hasn’t been a single game where they’ve fielded all 11 of their projected starters. By far the biggest loss has been Jaylon Johnson. Their star cornerback suffered a nasty groin injury while training in the summer. He missed training camp and the first game of the season. A return was attempted in Detroit the next week, but Johnson suffered a worse setback to his core muscle. That necessitated surgery, landing him on Injured Reserve. Nobody was sure if the cornerback would return this season.
Chicago Bears vs. Dallas Cowboys: Key Injury Updates
Since then, it’s been radio silence. Johnson hasn’t been mentioned at Halas Hall for almost two months. That finally changed on Wednesday. Head coach Ben Johnson revealed that the cornerback was back working out at the facility. He and the training staff are confident Johnson should return to action at some point in the coming weeks. The same is true for Kyler Gordon. He’s been on IR with groin and calf issues. The Bears believe his stint was always going to be shorter. If things play out as hoped, the defense could get both of them back just in time for the most pivotal stretch of the season.
Chicago’s defense has struggled against the pass this season, ranking 26th in the NFL. Joe Flacco put up 470 yards on them two weeks ago. People have wanted to blame the pass rush, but when you’re down three of your top four cornerbacks (Terell Smith is out for the year), it’s difficult to get stops. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen deserves credit for making do with what he has. Nahshon Wright has three interceptions. New addition C.J. Gardner-Johnson already has three sacks. They’re making it work.
Still, people are anxious to see what this defense looks like at full strength. Getting Jaylon Johnson back is the key. It sounds like he’s getting himself back into shape. The next step will be reaching the practice window. From there, he’ll have three weeks to show he is ready to play. Knowing Johnson, he is eager to return. This is his first chance to be part of a winning team in his career. There is no way he’d want to miss that.
Dianna Russini reveals ‘petty’ way Broncos trolled Eagles after upset win. Sean Payton’s celebration move stunned Philly perfectly.
The Denver Broncos were able to pull off one of the season’s biggest upsets by beating the defending Super Bowl champions 21-17 in Philadelphia. But it wasn’t just the win that made headlines; it was how Sean Payton’s team celebrated afterward.
After the victory, the Broncos got on their team bus and made a bold choice. “They were really focused on this win, and they were on the bus after the game, and they were blasting the Rocky soundtrack,” Dianna Russini revealed on the Scoop City podcast. Chase Daniel immediately responded: “He’s petty.”
Russini agreed right away: “So petty.”
If we look at the move, it was clever trolling at its finest. Rocky is one of Philadelphia’s most famous symbols, and playing that soundtrack after beating the Eagles on their home field was a playful jab at the city’s culture.
The celebration came after a week of intense focus. During preparation, Sean Payton had set a strict rule: nobody could talk about their upcoming London trip.
Payton banned London talk because trip planning has Super Bowl-level distractions when a team needs complete focus to beat the defending champions.
“He just had a rule in the facility. He was like, ‘No L-Word. You cannot talk about London.” Palmer noted. The strategy worked. Denver erased a 17-3 fourth-quarter deficit, scoring 18 straight points to shock Philadelphia on the road.
Payton’s confidence-building approach had been ongoing for weeks. Palmer shared what he heard inside the Denver locker room: “Sean has been pumping us up. He’s been telling everybody that we’re one of the elite teams in football. We could be the team coming out of the AFC. They circled this as if we want to do that. Philly plays close games. They’re defending Super Bowl champs. We’re on the road. We have to show that we can close out a game, win a tight game on the road in that situation.”
The message seems to have had a good impact on the team. Denver closed the game with clutch plays, including a two-point conversion that gave them the lead for good.
This wasn’t just any win; it ended Philadelphia’s 10-game winning streak and marked one of the biggest road victories for Denver in years. The Broncos could easily be 5-0 if a few close games earlier in the season had gone their way, making this statement win even more meaningful.
After keeping London off-limits all week, the Broncos flew overseas right after the game to prepare for their matchup against the Jets. The Rocky soundtrack moment shows Denver’s growing confidence. They are able to give 100 percent when they have to focus and revert back to the same when the topic is about fun.