Dennis Allen tells it as it is about Bears' defense after overcoming adversity

Imagine going into a game where multiple starters are out, and more get hurt, making things worse. That's what Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen faced in Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he never batted an eye about it.

Down their top three linebackers, one pass rusher, and their top two cornerbacks, the Bears' defense still managed to hold the Steelers to 345 yards of offense and allowed just seven points in the second half. All that adversity and the Bears still pulled out a 31-28 win over Pittsburgh to move to 8-3 on the season.

Just days after the game, Allen finally spoke out about the defense's performance, and he sang their praises.

"I'm proud of the way everybody responded in that situation. ... I hate to sound cliché, but that's what this league is about, that's who we are."

Allen added some praise to his coaching staff for getting the players ready to go. He stuck by an old saying that helped him and the team work through the problems with all their injuries.

"Everything we do is all about developing and preparing, because you never really know when that opportunity is going to come up. ... I mean, 90% of the world doesn’t care about your problems; the other 10% is glad you got them. So, that’s the way we operate."

Bears' defense hasn't been perfect, but resilency is something they live by

If fans just went by stats, they might think the Bears have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They are ranked 27th in total defense (362.8 yards per game), 21st in pass defense (224.7 yards per game), 28th in rush defense (138.1 yards per game), and 27th in scoring defense (26.5 points per game). The one stat they lead in that has made all the difference? 24 takeaways.

That's how this defense has been able to function throughout the season. They may give up the yards and points, but when it matters the most, the Bears don't bend and make explosive plays to help their offense out.

The good news is that, entering their Week 13 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, they might be getting Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon back in the secondary, making them the healthiest they have been all season. At linebacker, though, it's not looking great so far with Tremaine Edmunds on IR and T.J. Edwards, Noah Sewell, and Ruben Hyppolite II looking like they are pacing to miss the Eagles game.

Read more: Bears coach finally says how all fans feel when they watch Caleb Williams play

Even with the injuries, the Bears feel like a team of destiny and could find themselves in the winner's circle once again.