It rained black on the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles on Black Friday against the Chicago Bears—and every throaty discord, and every hand gesture the Eagles received by their angry denizens on their way back to the field tunnel at Lincoln Financial Field was well deserved.
Compounding that was the blank, vacant expressions and dejected, defeated body language the Eagles wore—projecting an image that they did not care.
The Bears’ 24-15 victory was not indicative just how lopsided this debacle was.
Chicago outgained the Eagles by almost 200 yards on the ground, giving up a season-high 281 yards rushing to 87. The Bears ran off 85 plays to the Eagles’ 51, and almost doubled the Eagles in time of possession, 39:18 to 20:42.
With 6:19 to play, even Santa Claus left the building. The spattering of Bears’ fans took over the Linc in the last three minutes as “Let’s go Bears” chants echoed in the three-quarters empty Linc.
Bears’ head coach Ben Johnson and his staff performed a masterclass of strategy, totally outcoaching Nick Sirianni.
Entering the game, the Bears were supposed to be “a mirage.” The wavy illusion right now may be the Eagles, who lost for the second-straight time. Over the last six quarters, the Eagles have been outscored 41-15—and 24-6 in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles sit at 8-4 atop the NFC East, and the Dallas Cowboys are right behind at 6-5-1. What looked certain after the Eagles’ win over the floundering Detroit Lions looks very uncertain.
The Bears did this without linebackers T.J. Edwards, Ruben Hyppolite II and Noah Sewell, all out with injuries. Despite that, the Eagles hardly attacked that area of the field. Dallas Goedert was only targeted four times, with two catches for 27 yards.
The Philadelphia Bears made major contributions, starting with former Eagle and St. Joe’s Prep star D’Andre Swift, who rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. The other Philadelphia Bears chipped in, too, like former Eagles C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Kevin Byard III, who seemed to do more in this game than he did in his 10 games with the 2023 Eagles.
Olamide Zaccheaus, another former Eagle and St. Joe’s Prep star, and D.J. Moore, out of Philly’s Imhotep Charter, combined to make four catches, and Bears’ right guard Jonah Jackson, out of suburban Penncrest High School, helped blow holes through the right side of the Eagles’ line.
Swift and Kyle Monangai each rushed for over 100 yards, becoming the first Bears’ backfield to have two 100-plus yard rushers in a game since Hall of Famer Walter Payton and Matt Suhey did it 40 years ago on the Bears’ all-time 1985 Super Bowl team.
Second-year pro Caleb Williams seems to be thriving in Johnson’s creative system, while Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts appears to be rapidly regressing under Eagles’ first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who may have lost the confidence of his players (except for A.J. Brown, who has come alive in the last two games—both losses—catching a combined 18 passes on 22 targets for 242 yards and three touchdowns).
In their last two games, the Eagles have turned the ball over four times, equaling the number of turnovers they had in their previous 10 games combined.
There was hardly any good, piles of bad, and an Everest of ugly in the Eagles’ 24-15 Black Friday loss to the Chicago Bears.
The Good
This disastrous loss meant very little. What really mattered was A.J. Brown caught a season-high 10 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. The second score came with three-quarters of the stadium empty and the game well decided. But hey, at least someone came away quietly pleased on Black Friday. Though the team is severely listing, do not expect any cryptic social media posts next week. Brown got his.
Jalyx Hunt’s interception with 6:36 left in the third quarter on a second-and-one. Hunt read the play well, hiding behind Bears’ rookie left tackle Ozzy Trapilo and popping up to snare the underthrown ball. The Eagles proceeded to blow it by fumbling the ball back to Chicago.
Jalen Hurts’ 33-yard third-quarter touchdown pass to Brown with 8:05 left in the quarter. The five-play, 92-yard drive appeared to jumpstart the dormant Eagles, then was deflated when Jake Elliott missed the extra point. The 92 yards on the drive was more than the total 84 yards the Eagles had gained until then.
Jalen Carter’s 10-yard sack on Chicago’s fourth drive. It came on a third-and-10 at the Bears’ 33 and forced Chicago to punt for the first time with 3:01 in the first half. Nolan Smith actually made the play, beating Trapilo, making Caleb Williams step up. It’s where Carter greeted him.
Jalyx Hunt forcing Williams to make an errant on first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 12. The Bears had already reached the Eagles’ 26 on their first drive, scored on their second drive and were sitting at the 12, when Hunt forced Williams into one mistake that helped force a field goal on the third drive.
Hurts’ 30-yard connection to DeVonta Smith on the first play of the second quarter on a third-and-three to the Chicago 28. It broke out the lethargy the Eagles started the game with and led to Jake Elliott’s 44-yard field goal.
The Eagles stuffing Bears’ rookie running back Kyle Monangai on a fourth-and-one at the Eagles’ 25 om the opening drive of the game.
Adoree’ Jackson coming up to stop D’Andre Swift on the Bears’ opening drive on a third-and-seven, stopping him just short of a first down. Jackson then left the game with his left arm dangling.
The Bad
Jake Elliott’s missed extra point would have tied the score 10-10 with 1:54 left in the third quarter.
A rare drop by Saquon Barkley with 5:21 left to play. It was typical of this mess.
Swift rolling for a pair of 17-yard runs on the Bears’ third drive. Swift was not getting touched until he was 10 yards down field. Swift was averaging 12.5 yards a carry on his first seven carries.
Hurts missing Smith on the Eagles’ second drive on a third-and-eight at the Bears’ 26. Smith was wide open and Hurts threw behind him. The play would have led to a first down and possibly more than a field goal.
Brown’s false start on the Eagles’ second offensive play of the game, pushing the Eagles back to a second-and-10.
The Eagles’ defense on the Bears’ opening drive. Chicago was on the field for 9:34, running off 11 plays, although going only 42 yards. The Bears converted their first two third downs, and the Eagles seemingly had no answers to stop them. Williams rolled out, used pitch outs, and did whatever he wanted.
The Ugly
The way the Bears’ right side of their offensive line, center Joe Thuney, right guard Jonah Jackson, and right tackle Darnell Wright, manhandled the Eagles’ front for a Chicago season-high 281 yards rushing. It is the most yards rushing the Eagles have given up since a 31-10 loss in Dallas on Nov. 18, 1973, when the Cowboys ran for 286 yards.
The Eagles blowing the Hunt interception with a Tush Push fumble at the Chicago 12 on a third-and-one with 4:33 left in the third quarter. It went along with the ugly theme of this game. Chicago used it to go ahead 17-9.
The Eagles’ next seven possessions after scoring their first points: Three-and-out, three-and-out, three-and-out, interception, touchdown, fumble, three-and-out. By then, the Eagles were down 24-9. Of the Eagles’ 11 drives, four were three-and-outs, one ended in an interception and another in a fumble.
The first half. It was only 10-3 Bears, but it felt like 88-0. The Bears had gained 142 yards rushing, the most rushing yards the Eagles have given up in the first half since they were throttled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 45-17, on Nov. 22, 2015. Chicago had outgained the Eagles, 222-83. The Bears had the ball for 21minutes to the Eagles’ nine, and 16 first downs to the Eagles’ two. Swift had 88 yards on 10 carries, averaging 8.8 yards a carry. The Bears were 7 of 10 on third down, while the Eagles were 1-for-5. The Eagles had only 26 yards rushing.
Brown erasing his own 12-yard reception on a third-and-nine with an offensive pass interference call at the Eagles’ 36 on the first play after the two-minute warning of the first half.
The Eagles going three-and-out on their third drive, unable to respond to the Bears’ second-quarter field goal.
The first quarter. The Bears outgained the Eagles, 120-32, converted four of five third downs, had eight first downs to the Eagles’ one, and were averaging 6.5 yards a rush. The Bears had the ball 10:52 to the Eagles’ 4:08 time of possession, and ran off 22 plays to the Eagles’ seven. The Bears’ 84 yards rushing in the first quarter was their most of any quarter this season. The 84 yards rushing was the most the Eagles’ defense gave up in any quarter this season. Bears’ coach Ben Johnson had Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spinning, pulling his interior linemen and having Fangio guessing.
The Eagles’ defense on the Bears’ second drive. Chicago gouged the Eagles for an 11-play, 78-yard drive. Chicago gashed the Eagles run defense, with runs of 17 and 23 yards. The Bears faced just two third downs, converting a pair of third-and-twos, one that resulted in the first touchdown of the game.
The Eagles’ first offensive drive going nowhere. They got a first down, then erased all the momentum they gained after holding the Bears on a fourth-and-one at the Eagles’ 25 on the opening drive of the game. Not a good omen at home coming off a 24-21 loss to Dallas, after being shut out in the second half.
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