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The Chicago Bears dominated the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in Week 13. The Bears improved to 9-3 with Friday’s 24-15 victory. And Chicago’s defense shined, creating two turnovers and holding Saquon Barkley and Philadelphia’s ground game to just 87 rushing yards.
Friday’s matchup was a revenge game for CJ Gardner-Johnson. The veteran defender won the Super Bowl with the Eagles last year but was traded to the Houston Texans over the offseason. After getting released by Houston, Gardner-Johnson eventually ended up in Chicago. And he was motivated to face his former team in Week 13.
Following the Bears’ big win in Philly, LeSean McCoy asked the seventh-year safety if the Eagles’ offense was too easy and predictable. Gardner-Johnson, who’s rarely at a loss for words, just grinned and shrugged off the question on the Speakeasy podcast. But when pressed by McCoy, Gardner-Johnson looked into the camera and gave a knowing wink.
McCoy also asked Gardner-Johnson, a noted trash talker, if he was “talking sh-t out there” against the Eagles. “No, I got too much respect for them to even disrespect the players I played with,” Gardner-Johnson replied. “But it’s like… we disrespected them on defense though.”
It’s been an unusual year for the former fourth-round pick. Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans hinted that Gardner-Johnson’s release was related to locker room problems.
He was signed to the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad in October but requested his release a week later, seeking a “clearer path to play.” The Bears were a natural fit given the team’s banged up secondary.
Chicago’s defensive backfield is finally getting healthy as corners Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon were activated Friday. Johnson had been out since Week 2 with a core injury. Gordon landed on IR after Week 7, missing the last five games.
The Bears maintained their lead in the NFC North, winning their fifth straight game on Friday. Chicago out-gained the Eagles 425 to 317 total yards and dominated time of possession 39:18 to 20:42.
The Bears head to Green Bay in Week 14 for a massive divisional showdown against the Packers. Green Bay improved to 8-3-1 with a win over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. The Packers trail Chicago by a half-game in the NFC North.
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