under the radar https://www.thebearsfanshop.com/Devin-Hester-Jersey , but they’ve won eight straight games after starting out 0-3 and are sitting in the third seed in the AFC. They have an easier schedule down the stretch than the 8-3 Patriots so they could presumably sneak into the second seed and get the first round bye. Their offense has played well of late, and their defense is still a top 10 unit. This could be a scary team come playoff time. 2) I ran through the NFC playoff scenario yesterday, and in looking at the NFC East, I think 8-8 will win that division. Washington was playing decent, but with no Alex Smith, they’re likely doomed, and the Cowboys and Eagles have some tough games to close out the season. 3) The Cleveland Browns have become a fun team to root for. Their recently fired head coach, Hue Jackson, went to work for in-division and in-state rival, the Cincinnati Bengals, so they had a little extra pep in their step when facing them on Sunday. Not only did Cleveland’s Damarious Randall pick off a pass, but he handed his interception to his former coach. Cleveland QB Baker Mayfield even snubbed his former head coach on the hug attempt. The snub wasn’t all about Jackson going to Cincinnati, it was about some of the stuff he said to the media about his time in Cleveland. 4) Trash Talking 101 dictates that you be able to back up your words, otherwise you’re just a mouthy jackass. Jacksonville’s Jalen Ramsey had a lot to say this offseason, but his team is 3-8, his defense is no where near what it was a year ago, and he still has no mute button. Those “trash” Bills Danny Trevathan Color Rush Jersey , led by their “trash” QB Josh Allen, just beat the Jags, 24-21.5) Jacksonville running back Leonard Fournette was suspended for a game because of his part in an altercation in Sunday’s game, and the press release from the NFL included a portion of the letter sent by NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan.Why include a part of Runyan’s letter? Maybe it’s just me, but that’s weird. 6) Tom Brady is now the career leader in total (including postseason) passing yards, eclipsing Peyton Manning. Brady is currently 4th all time in regular season passing yards behind Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Brett Favre. He’s 2,750 behind Manning for second all time, so if he returns in 2019 he’ll likely settle in behind Brees, who like Brady, seems like he’ll play forever.7) Rob Gronkowski played 69 offensive snaps in his return for the Patriots, because he’s Gronk and he has to stay true to the Brand.8) Rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens may not be polished as a passer, but that doesn’t mean the Ravens can’t win with him while he learns that part of the job. They’ve won two straight with Jackson under center, and at 6-5 they find themselves in the wildcard mix (currently the 6 seed in the AFC). 9) The Colts were a popular team to criticize this offseason for Bears’ fans, mostly because Indianapolis media personality Kent Sterling galvanized Chicago’s fanbase with his ignorant remarks, but they are playing some good football these days. The biggest surprise to me is how they’re finally protecting Andrew Luck. They might be one more good offseason away from being a contender in the AFC.10) There’s some talk that the Chicago Bears may not play Mitchell Trubisky again this week because of his shoulder injury Cody Whitehair Jersey , which is a different report from last week’s, ‘if the game was on Sunday he’d play.’The way I look at it, is it’s a injury to his throwing shoulder, and that’s kind of important for a quarterback. If his ability to throw is hampered, then he has to sit one more week. Period. No trying to tough it out. No fighting through the pain. No playing if his right shoulder is limited in any way. Eddie Jackson barely flinched as he crossed the goal line, interested only in matters of uncertainty. The touchdown was certain. Not because he was standing in the endzone with the ball. It was certain because he, Eddie Jackson, is a master of timing and instinct. His explanation of his interception and subsequent touchdown was simple enough: film study, coaching, reading the play design and following the quarterback’s eyes. The front seven had a good push. His teammates made their blocks. He went in for six. Simple.No, what interested him was leading his teammates. He shot one hand into the air in a celebratory point for less than half a second before weaving to the back of the endzone and turning to face his fellow defenders. He gestured for them to form a half circle around him. He tapped an invisible baton and began conducting an invisible orchestra. The music lasted only a few beats before Jackson, the D’s conductor, signalled fin and took his bow. The curtain isn’t dropping any time soon on this Bears season. We are 7-3 and alone atop the NFC North. We are playing the best football this franchise has seen after 10 games since arguably 2010. We have inspired so much confidence in fans that I for one feel no compunction about typing this jinx-heavy paragraph, even with Money Mitch landing on the injured list Monday with a pained right shoulder.Our defense is top 5 in both points and yards for the first time since 2012 and we are number one in the league in turnover ratio for the first time since ... you guessed it ... 1985.This D has several standouts. Khalil Mack is our MVP. Akiem Hicks is our unsung hero, though perhaps he’s transitioned all the way to sung, and is arguably our second best player overall behind Mack. Danny Trevathan is a certified leader and has been a stud all year.The breakout star, though? The guy who has taken a huge step forward in production and promise and changed the way we think about him? That mantle belongs to Fast Eddie https://www.thebearsfanshop.com/Jonathan-Bullard-Jersey , the best Bears safety since Mike Brown.Okay fine, that’s not saying much. After playing every game of his first four seasons, Brown was struck by the injury bug as hard and cruel as any man before or since, ending his season on injured reserve in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008, and missing the final four games of the 2005 regular season along with the final three quarters of our lone playoff game. Brown’s departure from the Bears after 2008 kicked off a notorious revolving door at safety, starting with Al Afalava in 2009 and continuing with extended stretches for Major Wright and Chris Conte, a 16-game showing for Ryan Mundy, and now 50 starts for Adrian Amos, the most of any Bears safety in the past decade.While Amos has played above expectations, his safety-mate Jackson has become a star. The signs were there last year as a rookie, particularly in his brilliant twofer against the Panthers. But last year included dry spells for #39. This year, he’s produced star plays nearly every week. In 2017, Jackson had two interceptions, one forced fumble, three recovered fumbles and two defensive touchdowns Akiem Hicks Color Rush Jersey , but those came in only three of his 16 games.In 2018, he has three interceptions, two forced fumbles, one recovered fumble and two defensive touchdowns, and he’s spread them out over five of his 10 games. He also bagged his first career sack this year, has six passes defended (tied with last year) and had a pick-6 called back on an offsides penalty against Mack.His numbers grow from his sense of the moment. On the pick-6 against the Vikings, he began charging the spot of the throw before Kirk Cousins cocked his arm. The ball floated beyond the receiver, and Jackson made a handsy grab fit for his offensive brethren.Once he had the ball, he calmly directed Roquan Smith to make a block and followed the wave like Hester. Only four seconds elapsed between squeezing the interception at the 27 and starting to conduct his teammates in their invisible orchestra (later called a ‘choir’).This was Jackson’s fourth career touchdown. Peanut Tillman holds the franchise record with nine career defensive touchdowns. Mike Brown is the last Bears safety to reach the Pro Bowl. Jackson is angling for both of those marks. The Conductor — Fast Eddie — is cementing himself as a “sure thing” on this Bears defense, joining Mack, Hicks and Trevathan as guys whose production Bears fans can trust as a given week in and week out.We’re like Jackson, in that sense. We are standing in the endzone without a hint of surprise. We are thrilled yet calm, rapturous yet assured. We have one responsibility: enjoy the music.---Jack M Silverstein is Windy City Gridiron’s Bears historian, and author of “How The GOAT Was Built: 6 Life Lessons From the 1996 Chicago Bulls.” He is the proprietor of Chicago sports history Instagram “A Shot on Ehlo.” Say hey at @readjack.