PHILADELPHIA — Two months ago, Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson wondered whether he would be healthy enough to play again this season.
On Friday, he was draped all over tight end Dallas Goedert when the Eagles threw a third-down incompletion and celebrated as the fans at Lincoln Financial Field booed the hometown team off the field in the second quarter.
‘‘For me, it was really just a lot of work, a lot of praying, a lot of staying committed to my body, to the process,’’ Johnson, a two-time Pro Bowl player, said after the Bears’ 24-15 victory.
Johnson started the game. Cornerback Kyler Gordon didn’t, but he played both in the slot and outside in only his third game of the season. Gordon had a hamstring injury at the start of the season and returned Friday from a calf problem. Each had a tackle.
Gordon said he was ‘‘itching to get out there’’ before the Bears activated both players from injured reserve Thursday.
‘‘We were just playing it smart and doing the right thing to take care of me,’’ he said.
Johnson has taken part in precious few practices this season. He tore the adductor muscle off his pelvic bone while working out at UNLV before the start of training camp. He began practicing once the regular season began but couldn’t make it out of his first game back, injuring a different part of his groin in Week 2 against the Lions.
The Bears lost 26 games more than they won in Johnson’s first five seasons with the team. He said being 9-3 reminded him of his college days at Utah.
‘‘I’ve been a winner in my heart this whole time; it’s not a new feeling for me,’’ Johnson said. ‘‘We’re just embracing this and staying committed. You’ve gotta keep recommitting every week. It’s a long year.’’
Brotherly shove
Part of the Bears’ plan for defending the ‘‘Tush Push’’ was to rip away at the ball if they could.
‘‘We were hopeful to have opportunities to get the ball there,’’ head coach Ben Johnson said.
That’s exactly what cornerback Nahshon Wright did when Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts plunged forward on third-and-one in the third quarter.
‘‘I’d seen him holding the ball out, [and] I was able to get there, get my hands under and just rip it,’’ Wright said.
He saw the ball fall to the ground and dived on it. He wrestled the ball away from guard Landon Dickerson and joked that ‘‘the O-lineman wasn’t as strong as I thought he was.’’
It was only Hurts’ second fumble on the ‘‘Tush Push’’ in his career.
Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett praised Wright’s ‘‘high effort and awareness.’’
‘‘We’ve got people trained to go get that ball, and we got it,’’Jarrett said.
Notes
• Safety Kevin Byard, a Philadelphia native, picked off a pass by Hurts in the third quarter for his league-leading sixth interception. He had been tied with Wright.
• Despite Theo Benedet being back to full health, the Bears started Ozzy Trapilo at left tackle. Johnson said he was pleased with how Trapilo fared in his first NFL start against the Steelers, when Benedet didn’t play because of a quad injury.
Johnson gave all five starters on the offensive line a game ball and said the Bears’ running game ‘‘doesn’t happen’’ without them.
• Tight end Cole Kmet’s 28-yard touchdown catch was the 21st of his career. Only Mike Ditka has more among Bears tight ends.
• Defensive tackle Andrew Billings left with a concussion.
• Because of the wind, each team used a 12th man to hold the ball on the tee during kickoffs. That player is obligated to run to the sideline after the ball is booted.
