Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears are rolling, winners of three straight contests and six of their last seven outings. What’s more, the schedule is shaping up better in reality than it did on paper coming into the season.
The most important thing is that the Bears continue to find ways to win, even if it means scrapping until the final whistle.
However, getting a little help along the way is also part of the game.
Bears Get Major Injury Updates From Upcoming Opponents
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The Bears have the second-toughest remaining strength of schedule entering “Monday Night Football” in Week 11, per Tankathon, behind only the Green Bay Packers.
Up next, they face the Pittsburgh Steelers. The stage was set for the Bears to renew their rivalry with Steelers QB and ex-Packers star Aaron Rodgers. However, Rodgers suffered a wrist fracture against the Cincinnati Bengals.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on X that Mason Rudolph will start for Pittsburgh in Week 11.
Notably, Rudolph was 12-for-16 for 127 yards and 1 touchdown after stepping in for Rodgers in the second quarter of the 34-12 victory.
Rudolph is 9-8-1 as a starter with a 4,754-29-20 line on 64.1% completion in his career. He drew his last start in Week 17 of the 2024 campaign.
After hosting the Steelers, the Bears will visit the Philadelphia Eagles.
Eagles’ right tackle Lane Johnson suffered a Lisfranc injury on “Sunday Night Football” against the Detroit Lions, whom Philadelphia defeated, giving the Bears first place in the NFC North.
Johnson’s injury is not expected to be season-ending, per Schefter. However, it could land him on injured reserve, which would mean missing four games. If that is a consideration, the likelihood of Johnson suiting up against the Bears appears unlikely.
The reigning Super Bowl champions are 8-2 and have a player they like in Fred Johnson at LT.
However, the Bears’ defense has been inconsistent in rushing the passer while being beset by injuries (just like their secondary). They will surely take any breaks they can get.
NFC North Vulnerable
After the Bears take on Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, they will visit the Packers for their first meeting this season. The Packers are 6-3-1 this season and eager to prove that the Bears’ win in Week 18 last season was a fluke.
They also added dynamic edge rusher Micah Parsons in a trade from the Dallas Cowboys this season.
However, Packers running back Josh Jacobs suffered a knee injury in Week 11.
Again, the injury is not serious. Still, Jacobs is “week-to-week,” per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky on November 17. The smart money is that Jacobs and the Packers will do everything they can to get the player drafted using one of the Bears’ picks healthy enough to play in that game.
The Packers are 6-3-1. A win against the Bears would be just as monumental for them this season as it would be for the Bears in general.
The rest of the Bears’ schedule shows cracks, too. For now, at least.
They face the Cleveland Browns (2-8) in Week 15, host the Packers in Week 16 (though Jacobs should be healthy by then), visit a banged-up but resilient San Francisco 49ers team in Week 17, and host the Lions in Week 18.
The Bears are off to their best start since the 2018 season. Then, they won nine of their first 11 outings, reached and lost in the Wild Card Playoffs.