The Chicago Bears have managed to keep their playoff hopes alive, if only slightly. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys have managed to hold on to their lead in the NFC East, if only slightly.

Now the two teams meet on Thursday Night Football in Week 14. However, the Bears will be doing so without one of their best offensive weapons as wide receiver Taylor Gabriel has been ruled out.

Chicago is currently on a two-game winning streak that has brought their record back to 6-6 on the season.

Those are some big names to be missing against a pretty good team like the Cowboys though. Especially considering Gabriel is one of their few true weapons offensively.

That being said, Gabriel did not play in Week 13 either, and they managed to win that game.

The wide receiver has dealt with some injuries this year, but has still appeared in nine games this season. In that time, he has 29 receptions for 353 yards and four touchdowns.

It's tough because Gabriel might be their most explosive playmaker. Injuries have limited that ability this year though. Now they are taking another game from him when the Bears need all hands on deck.

The fact that this is his second straight full game he's missing with a concussion is not good news either. Concussions are always pretty serious to consider, but when you're missing an extended period of time, that's when you really have to start worrying about things.

Hopefully, Gabriel is healthy soon enough with no serious damage done. Who knows, maybe he'll even be able to help Chicago sneak into the playoffs when it's all said and done.