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Bears’ defensive coordinator Dennis Allen kept it real when discussing his relationship with C.J. Gardner-Johnson<\/p>\n
It hasn\u2019t necessarily been pretty, but the\u00a0Chicago Bears\u00a0have continually found a way to piece things together this season, which has led to them posting a 6-3 record through nine games. A significant reason for their success has been the defense\u2019s ability to compensate for an oftentimes inconsistent offense, with\u00a0defensive coordinator Dennis Allen\u00a0leading the unit into battle this season.<\/p>\n
After a failed stint as the\u00a0New Orleans Saints\u2018 head coach, Allen returned to his roots on the defensive side of the ball, where he has helped the Bears take a big step forward this season. Part of his success has involved getting the most out of his players, with one guy in particular who fits that bill being\u00a0veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Ahead of the team\u2019s Week 11 action, Allen pulled back the curtain on his relationship with the controversial defensive back.<\/p>\n
Gardner-Johnson initially broke into the league as a fourth-round pick in the 2019\u00a0NFL\u00a0Draft with the Saints. At the time, Allen was New Orleans\u2019 defensive coordinator, so he played a big role in turning him into a starting-caliber player. Gardner-Johnson started 31 of the 43 games he played in for his first three seasons with the Saints before he ended up getting traded to the\u00a0Philadelphia Eagles.<\/p>\n
Things haven\u2019t exactly gone according to plan for Gardner-Johnson this season. After signing with the\u00a0Houston Texans\u00a0in free agency, Gardner-Johnson was released by the team after suiting up for just three games. He briefly latched on with the\u00a0Baltimore Ravens\u2018 practice squad before he eventually found his way to the Bears, reuniting with Allen in the process.<\/p>\n
In two games with Chicago, Gardner-Johnson has quickly emerged as a key piece of the team\u2019s secondary. Playing within Allen\u2019s system again seems to have helped the Gardner-Johnson out quite a bit, and it wouldn\u2019t be a surprise to see him continue earning more and more snaps as the season progresses. When discussing his relationship with Gardner-Johnson, Allen revealed that there\u2019s a\u00a0level of trust\u00a0between the two of them that has helped him find his fit with the Bears.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was in New Orleans when we drafted him,\u201d Allen said on Thursday. \u201cWe were the first group that got an opportunity to coach him. He had success with us in this system, and I think there\u2019s a trust level on both sides. I know exactly what we\u2019re getting in the player, and I think it\u2019s positive, and I think he understands how we\u2019re going to operate and how we do things.\u201d<\/p>\n
GettyDennis Allen surveys the field during the first day of Chicago Bears training camp<\/p>\n
Chicago\u2019s secondary is a bit beat up, as Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Terrell Smith are all on injured reserve. That has resulted in Gardner-Johnson shifting back to the cornerback position that he initially played early in his career with Allen. As the team\u2019s top nickelback, Gardner-Johnson has looked impressive after struggling early in the year.<\/p>\n
The Bears have suddenly found themselves in a tightly contested playoff race atop the NFC North with the Detroit Lions and\u00a0Green Bay Packers, so every game is going to be very important moving forward. Chicago has a difficult divisional clash against the\u00a0Minnesota Vikings on its hands in Week 11, with kickoff for this game scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n
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J.K. Dobbins has been a meaningful part of Denver’s early season rise to the top of the AFC.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Denver Broncos\u00a0received tough news Friday afternoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As NBC Sports noted, NFL Network\u2019s Ian Rapoport reported that running back\u00a0J.K. Dobbins\u00a0will amiss Sunday\u2019s matchup against the\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0due to a significant foot injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rapoport added that Dobbins is \u201cbelieved to be out for the foreseeable future.\u201d<\/p>\n
His placement on injured reserve remains a real possibility as the team evaluates its options.<\/p>\n
\u201cDobbins is still working through options, and while there is no final determination, IR remains a possibility,\u201d Rapoport said.<\/p>\n
The report came from himself and Tom Pelissero.<\/p>\n
The development marks a quick escalation from earlier in the week, when Dobbins missed Wednesday and Thursday\u2019s practices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that point, the team had not revealed the full severity of the injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dobbins\u2019 injury stems from a hip-drop tackle last Thursday against the\u00a0Raiders, a play that left him frustrated enough to take to X and call for the move to be banned.<\/p>\n
Dobbins ranks fifth in the\u00a0NFL\u00a0with 772 rushing yards and has been a huge part of Denver\u2019s offense so far this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Dobbins has officially been ruled out for Week 11, the next major decision comes quickly.<\/p>\n
The Broncos must determine by Saturday afternoon whether to place him on injured reserve.<\/p>\n
If he is moved to IR before Sunday, the Chiefs game will count toward a required four-game absence.<\/p>\n
Placing Dobbins on IR would sideline him for matchups against the Chiefs,\u00a0Commanders, Raiders, and\u00a0Packers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He would be eligible to return Week 16 against the\u00a0Jacksonville Jaguars.<\/p>\n
Head coach Sean Payton acknowledged that discussions are ongoing.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing has been decided yet, and at some point there will be more clarity with him and some of these other players,\u201d Payton said earlier this week.<\/p>\n
Denver\u2019s Week 12 bye gives the team a small cushion, but if the injury is significant enough to keep him out multiple weeks, the IR designation becomes more likely.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith JK Dobbins potentially headed to Injured Reserve, all eyes turn to RJ Harvey,\u201d Rapoport said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
RJ Harvey\u00a0has already flashed his dynamic potential in limited work.<\/p>\n
Payton praised Harvey\u2019s running style, durability, and readiness to step into a larger role:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we drafted him, it was his running skillset, and he had a lot of touches at Central Florida,\u201d Payton said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are starting to see him grow in front of our eyes, and he will have more opportunities in this game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyler Badie\u00a0will likely mix in as a third down guy, while\u00a0Jaleel McLaughlin\u00a0could be active as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s divisional matchup against the Chiefs carries major playoff implications for both teams and Harvey has a huge opportunity to step up and flourish in the RB1 role.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Getty Bears’ defensive coordinator Dennis Allen kept it real when discussing his relationship with C.J. Gardner-Johnson It hasn\u2019t necessarily been pretty, but the\u00a0Chicago Bears\u00a0have continually found a way to piece things together…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t