How Bears DC Dennis Allen has created a takeaway machine - ESPN

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Each week, as Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen builds his plan to attack his next opponent, he has often done so by having to get creative.

It's a similar challenge to visiting a grocery store with a detailed list and discovering that they've run out of the most important ingredients required to make a recipe. The Bears' injuries on defense have forced Allen's unit to live in a state of flux. As the team's health has gotten more challenging during Chicago's 10-4 start, Allen's ability to adapt his defense to the available personnel has been in the spotlight.

It began with cornerback Nahshon Wright, who came to the Bears to provide depth but has started 13 of 14 games this season in place of Jaylon Johnson. Wright leads the team with three forced fumbles and is second with five interceptions.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson was signed in late October after being cut by the Texans and Ravens, and he has filled the void at nickel corner, with Kyler Gordon's soft tissue injuries forcing him in and out of the lineup.

Linebacker D'Marco Jackson went from playing primarily on special teams to filling in for Tremaine Edmunds since late November. Jackson has already earned game balls for his performances against Pittsburgh and Cleveland, and he is the reigning NFC defensive player of the week.

All three reserves-turned-starters are players whom Allen and his defensive staff had coached at previous stops. Allen's eye for identifying players who could fill major roles for extended stretches is a core component of why the Bears' defense put together its best game in years during a 31-3 rout of the Browns. The unit boasts a league-leading 30 takeaways and plus-20 turnover margin.

Against the Green Bay Packers