LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — It seems each week this season, the Bears have had injury challenges for their defense. They keep stacking victories while working through those injury woes.
The Bears currently sit atop the NFC North at 8-3 as they prepare to play the Eagles (8-3) on Friday in Philadelphia. Chicago’s defense ranks 27th in scoring defense and 27th in total defense but leads the NFL with 24 takeaways. Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson (groin) has played part of just one game this season, while nickelback Kyler Gordon (calf) has been limited to two games and linebacker T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring) has played in five.
The Bears are readying for Johnson and Gordon to return soon. Each has been practicing in full recently and is near an activation from injured reserve.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is eager to work with a full complement of players, but that will come with a few difficult decisions to make.
“It's a good problem to have, and we'll have a plan to try to utilize all the pieces that we have to the puzzle,” Allen said. “We'll try to utilize those to the best of our ability to try to get ourselves in the best position to be successful. It's no different than the offensive coach that you've got all these offensive weapons. There's only one football. How do you distribute the ball to all of them? At some point, everybody's going to have a role to play. What that role is going to be from week to week may change. But we'll have a plan in place.”
One potential looming decision will involve starting cornerback Nahshon Wright, who's tied for the NFL lead with five interceptions. He stepped into a starting role during training camp with Johnson sidelined. Wright hasn't looked ready to relinquish that job by any means.
If cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is healthy, the Bears may have to choose between he and Wright to line up opposite of Johnson. Stevenson exited with a hip injury in the Bears' win against the Steelers on Sunday.
“He certainly earned the right to play,” Allen said of Wright. “What that role is will, each and every week, may change, but we're going to try to find ways that if we have a guy that we think can help us win games, we're going to try to find ways to get him on the field.”
In their win Sunday, the Bears were without their top three linebackers, including Tremaine Edmunds, who landed on injured reserve with a groin injury.
The Bears turned to reserve linebackers D’Marco Jackson, Amen Ogbongbemiga and Ruben Hyppolite, who left the game with a shoulder injury. Veteran defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson even stepped in to the second level as a hybrid linebacker.
Allen credited those players for stepping up, and he lauded the Bears' entire defensive coaching staff for their work preparing the group to play.
“I hate to sound cliche, but that’s what this league is about,” Allen said. “That’s what we are. Everything we do is all about developing and preparing, because you never really know when that opportunity is going to come up.
“I mean, 90% of the world doesn’t care about your problems. The other 10% is glad you got them.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.