Nobody expected the Chicago Bears to be this far along already. The team was 5-12 last season, which included the second-longest losing streak in franchise history. They’d replaced their head coach midseason and their offensive coordinator twice. The new head coach would need at least a year to sort out the mess before the team became competitive. So you can understand the widespread shock at what Ben Johnson has accomplished. Despite what happened last year and Chicago’s 0-2 start, he has them 8-3, leading the NFC North, and on the cusp of a playoff berth.

The craziest part is what he’s accomplishing on offense. Nobody would ever say the Bears have the same wealth of talent as the Detroit Lions do on offense. It is one of the reasons people expected Johnson to struggle initially. Instead, he has the unit ranked top 10 in both scoring and total yards. The instant impact he’s had across the board is astounding, and according to Stacey Dales of NFL Network, it has caught the attention of the entire NFL. They’ve suddenly grown nervous about what the future holds.

The NFL has seen developments like Ben Johnson before.

There is a reason every team is always on the lookout for that next brilliant offensive mind. There is a chance he could become the next Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, or Andy Reid. These guys have basically owned the league from a success standpoint for the past several years. Since 2019, McVay and Reid have won a combined four Super Bowls, while Shanahan has reached two of them. When you have a great offensive mind who is also a leader, all things become possible.

That is why Ben Johnson has the league wary. Keep in mind, this Bears roster is one he inherited. Most of the players on it were drafted by a different regime. He hasn’t yet gotten the pieces in place to fit his vision. The scariest part is he’s already in the process of doing so. Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, Kyle Monangai, and Ozzy Trapilo have made big contributions this season. If he gets Caleb Williams to the point where things are trending, the NFL is in trouble.

Most people expect the Philadelphia Eagles to take care of business against the Chicago Bears on Friday. It makes sense. They’re the defending champions. They have the more complete roster, good coaching, and home-field advantage. The Bears have the coaching, but their roster is depleted due to injuries in several areas. Unless Philadelphia completely falls asleep, they should win this game. However, former Bears and Eagles quarterback Nick Foles has serious misgivings about the team he won a Super Bowl for.

While the Eagles might be 8-3, they’ve had a serious identity crisis on offense all season. Despite a wealth of talent, they ranked 24th overall and 17th in scoring. Their league-leading rushing attack from last season has dropped to 21st. People can’t understand what the problem is. Foles believes it falls at the feed of offensive Kevin Patullo. He’s demonstrated a lack of creativity in any form as a play caller all season. As a result, the Eagles have gone through extended dry spells on offense.

That problem could rear its head on Friday, even against Chicago’s banged-up defense.

Nick Foles knows the truth.

The Bears don’t have to stop the Eagles. If they can do enough to at least frustrate them, the Eagles will probably stop themselves. It’s been like that for the past three weeks. They managed just 10 points in Green Bay, 16 against Detroit, and 21 against Dallas’ supposedly awful defense. This offense is a shadow of what it was last year, and the only major change was the play caller. If that weren’t bad enough, the Eagles are already without star tackle Lane Johnson and probably won’t have leading receiver DeVonta Smith as well.

You can overcome an average play caller when the talent is elite across the board. Once that talent starts getting stripped away, it becomes almost impossible. Nick Foles understands that better than anybody. It is why he seems concerned about Philadelphia’s future. They still might have enough to take care of the Bears, but it would be unwise to take them lightly.

The Chicago Bears have won eight of their last nine games. Last Sunday, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, marked their first victory over an opponent with a winning record this season. This Friday will be easily their biggest test of the season as they travel to face off with the Philadelphia Eagles. The defending champions are in their usual form, sitting at 8-3. Experts are picking them unanimously to win this game. That isn’t a surprise. The Eagles are the cream of the NFC and have one of the best rosters in football. Chicago, for all its grit and resilience, is dealing with a laundry list of injuries and relative inexperience in big games.

However, circumstances might be changing ahead of kickoff. It appears Philadelphia has injury problems of their own. They already lost star right tackle Lane Johnson to a foot injury. Running back Saquon Barkley is dealing with a troublesome groin issue. However, the big name drawing attention is DeVonta Smith. The Eagles’ star receiver has been dealing with shoulder and chest issues that have forced him to miss the past two practices. It’s looking increasingly likely that he won’t play.

The Chicago Bears missing Smith would be a big deal.

He is Philadelphia’s leading receiver, going for 754 yards on just 55 catches. His big-play ability is a huge part of their offense. They are 10-1 when he scores at least one touchdown in a game. Not having him should allow the Chicago Bears to focus more of their attention on fellow star receiver A.J. Brown. This makes the imminent return of cornerback Jaylon Johnson even more significant. If he can limit Brown, it could completely derail Philadelphia’s entire passing game.

Does this guarantee victory? Of course not. The Eagles are too talented and too well-coached to be easily overcome. They’ve lost only twice at home since the start of 2024. It is a difficult place to play. Head coach Ben Johnson and his staff must have their guys prepared. Philadelphia will be playing with urgency after its collapse last weekend against Dallas. Still, the opportunity will be there.

A few weeks ago, Cairo Santos suffered a leg injury that kept him out of action. As a result, Jake Moody stepped in to replace him and played well, hitting eight of his nine field goal attempts. This created a discussion on whether the Chicago Bears might consider sticking with Moody. Head coach Ben Johnson shut that down immediately. He made it clear. When Santos was healthy, he was the Bears’ kicker. A similar situation is developing this week. Left tackle Theo Benedet suffered a quad injury that knocked him out for the Pittsburgh Steelers game. Rookie Ozzy Trapilo stepped in and played well, allowing just one pressure in 41 snaps.

Again, Johnson was asked whether Benedet would start presuming he’s recovered enough. This time, he was far more dodgy with his answer.

That is a far cry from his Santos answer, which is a massive hint at where Johnson’s thinking is at. Benedet has been a terrific part of the Bears’ running game since stepping in for Braxton Jones. Unfortunately, he has been a liability in pass protection. Two sacks and 22 pressures allowed in seven starts. Chicago has Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, and Aidan Hutchinson looming on the schedule. If Trapilo is the upgrade in pass protection he seems to be, it isn’t difficult to understand why Johnson might be leaning that way.

Ozzy Trapilo passed the final test.

Early in training camp, it looked like the 2nd round pick was neck-and-neck in the competition at left tackle. Then, around the start of the preseason, coaches began to notice that his progress had stalled. His feet were slow, and he looked a little uncertain. Rather than press forward, they decided to shift him back to right tackle for the time being. That opened the way for Benedet to eventually take over the backup job and replace Jones. In a cruel twist of fate, the same is now happening to him.

Injuries are what led to Jones’ downfall. Now Benedet. It always felt like the Bears were looking for the first opportunity to get Ozzy Trapilo on the field. If he played well enough, they would keep him there. What they saw against Pittsburgh was everything they’d hoped for. It was why they drafted him. While this development stinks for Benedet, it is the cruel nature of the NFL.

Don’t get hurt, or you risk losing your spot.

The Chicago Bears had the worst coaching staff in the NFL by miles in 2024. Nobody could dispute it. They also never would’ve guessed it would transform into one of the best within a matter of months. Most of the buzz surrounds head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who have worked levels of magic this organization hasn’t seen in decades. However, it goes deeper than that. Johnson has also assembled a terrific support staff. Al Harris has done incredible work with a banged-up secondary, but the true honor must go to Dan Roushar, their new offensive line coach.

Chicago surrendered 68 sacks last season. It was one of the worst offensive line performances in NFL history. Fast forward to this year, and the group has allowed 17 sacks in 11 games. Part of it is their talent upgrades, but everybody agrees Roushar’s influence has been essential. The best part is how it all happened. Bears fans probably don’t know, but that hire nearly didn’t come to pass. Roushar had chosen to retire. However, a phone call from Johnson and a harsh nudge from his wife changed that.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune had the details.

Directing the unit behind the scenes is 65-year-old Dan Roushar, who was about a month into retirement when the opportunity came along. He’s an old-school coach with a knack for reaching Gen Z, and while he’s not particularly interested in sharing his story, it’s quite a tale of commitment to the craft for a guy from Clinton, Iowa, who grew up a Bears fan and played quarterback at Northern Illinois…

…When Johnson called Roushar, he had recently retired after a two-year stint as Tulane’s offensive line coach. The pull back into the business was too much to resist for Roushar, who initially transitioned into a student assistant role at NIU under Bill Mallory in 1983 and continued in that role the next year under Lee Corso…

…When Tulane’s season ended with the Gasparilla Bowl last Dec. 20, Roushar figured it had been a heck of a 41-year run, one that included a decade with the Saints, two stints each at Illinois and NIU and five other college stops.

Five weeks later — out of the blue — Johnson called with a question: Is this something you are interested in?

“As I said to my wife, ‘We could be traveling and doing these wonderful things,’” Roushar said. “And she said, ‘We wouldn’t be doing any of that.’

“Coach (Johnson) reached out to me, and this story unraveled.”

Bears fans owe the wife of Dan Roushar several drinks.

If not for her blunt honesty, the team may not have landed one of the best offensive line coaches in the business. It certainly helps that Dan Roushar grew up a Bears fan. That at least offers hope that he’ll stick around for a while. Being 65 years old makes it uncertain how long he will keep doing this. The one accomplishment that has eluded him in a 41-year career is a Super Bowl. Perhaps he will see Chicago as an opportunity to keep chasing that dream a little longer.

Whatever the case, his influence can’t be understated. All of the offense’s success this year can be attributed in some form or fashion to him. Darnell Wright is playing like a Pro Bowler. Drew Dalman is having his best season. Jonah Jackson has regained his old form. Ozzy Trapilo had a tremendous game in his first start. Everything looks great.