USA Today
Eagles 22, Bears 14: Final
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Inactives
Bears
S Deon Bush
DB Duke Shelley
OLB Isaiah Irving
G Alex Bars
LB Josh Woods
DE Abdullah Anderson
R Riley Ridley
Eagles
T Jason Peters
MLB Nigel Bradham
G Nate Herbig
DE Shareef Miller
DE Daeshon Hall
QB Nate Sudfeld
CB Sidney Jones
Coin flip - Eagles win and defer. Bears take opening kick to 27.
First Quarter
15:00: David Montgomery with a nice gain away from Fletcher off left guard. Keep it away from that guy. Third and long again. Of course it's incomplete to Robinson, who got wide open toward the sidelines.
13:18: Sproles lets punt go and lucks out. It barely gets to the end zone. Eagles start at 20. Terrible pass interference call against Kyle Fuller on the first play. Totally abysmal, and they'd have won the challenge but he didn't want to risk it apparently. Jordan Howard gashes Bears on a cutback run. That's the soft spot now because Akiem Hicks never allows cutbacks. Eagles going for it on fourth-and-2 at Bears 40. Eagles get away with an illegal pick on Eddie Jackson and Zach Ertz gets the first down. That was an illegal NBA pick. Eagles run same play they ran for the game-winning points in the playoff loss by the Bears on second-and-goal at the 3 and the Bears completely shut it down. Why didn't they do that last year?
Nick Williams got the sack with good coverage in the rear to save a TD and Eagles settle for Jake Elliott field goal of 28 yards. Eagles 3, Bears 0
5:51: Another three-and-out and a near blocked punt ... again. The Eagles are penalized for hitting Pat O'Donnell but it was running-into-the-punter. The Bears decline it and take the punt. I would have taken a re-kick. Who cares if Darren Sproles is the return guy. O'Donnell's punt was shaky anyway.
Wentz has Bears jumping offsides. Twice in this drive. Eagles at Bears 45.
Philadelphia totally controlling the tempo and they should be able to because the offense has been on the field for six plays for the Bears so far. Wearing out Bears defense again, like the Saints did. Eagles at Bears 30, third-and-one on drive's eighth play and the Bears need a timeout to keep from passing out from exhaustion. You don't usually see teams use their timeouts on defense much. Bears will be doing it all day if this keeps up. A 15-yard completion to Zach Ertz on third-and-one sets the Eagles up in the red zone and Bears can't do anything to stop them. Bears six plays, Eagles 20. Quarter ends. Eagles 3, Bears 0
Second quarter
15:00: Eagles facing third down again at the 12 and Bears jump offsides for the third time, Eddie Goldman this time. Fantastic stuff by Prince Amukamara in the backfield on a reception and the Eagles have to accept another field goal. Eagles fans booing. Bears should appreciate that. Sounds like Soldier Field. A 28-yarder by Elliott. Eagles 6, Bears 0
13:22: They haven't run or passed well. David Montgomery eeks out a couple yards and another penalty on the Bears, their fifth. Officials called Eagles offsides penalty on Fletcher Cox. But he was on the sidelines the whole time. They don't care. They just want to call a penalty on someone. Bears face third-and-eight or its their third straight third-and-out. Bear confused and call timeout, and Barnett and Sweat sack Trubisky anyway.
Bears should wait until the TV timeout is over and call their third timeout to give their defense some more rest.
Eddie Goldman suffers a knee injury. The only run stopper left and he's gone now. Zach Ertz with a catch to put the Eagles across midfield. Eagles have been playing cat-and-mouse, running and throwing short, then all the sudden throwing deep. Alshon Jeffery overthrown for incompletion. Bears jump offsides for the fourth time on defense, Aaron Lynch jumps. They had him lined up inside at defensive end because Goldman's gone. Fourth-and-1 at the 39 of the Bears for Eagles after they were stuffed on third down. The defense is fighting, even though they are undermanned. You can only do this so long. Look for Eagles to throw here and catch them for a big gain. Timeout by Eagles to think this one through. Eagles tried to do exactly this, and pass sails long but Nick Williams is called for roughing the passer and it's pretty questionable but Williams had no reason to do anything. Touchdown catch by Zach Ertz. Jake Elliott misses the extra point. Ertz blatantly facemasked Kyle Fuller, and then threw him down which is also offensive pass interference. Bears didn't even challenge and TD counts. Eagles 12, Bears 0
5:58: Bears have been outgained 172 yards to -2.
This is easily the worst the Bears have looked this season. A false start on Adam Shaheen. Third-and-12. Looks like another three-and-out. Does it count as that when you've committed a few penalties too?
4:39: Eagles with the ball again. At least the Bears are in positive yardage again with 1 yard for the half.
Goldman's injury is called thigh and knee injury. Eagles face third-and-22. And Alshon Jeffery can't hang onto a nice pass by Wentz. Wouldn't have had first down anyway.
3:05: Bears at 36. Tarik Cohen drops a pass on first down, then they try to let Trubisky throw on a seam route over the middle, which is never something that should be done. He overthrew it by 10 feet.
The Eagles get a sack on third down for fifth three-and-out, and now Bears are back in negative yards.
2:00: At halftime the Bears offense should have to stay outside the locker room.
Eagles face third-and-4 and force punt. Someone should give out awards at halftime for valor to the Bears defense.
1:11: Bears take over at their 8-yard line. The best thing for them would be to run out the clock but the Eagles can stop the clock twice.
Trubisky's best play of the game, scrambles for their first first down of the game and then takes a late hit for 15 more yards. Sendejo with the cheap shot. Leave it to a former Viking.
Trubisky overthrows Tarik Cohen on third-and-4 and the Bears' "drive" dies at their 41. The good news is the half is almost over.
Is it possible for them to catch an early flight back to Chicago? Halftime. Eagles 12, Bears 0
Bears had 9:15 of possession time. 20 offensive plays. 9 yards. 202 yards to 9. Looks like John Fox is back coaching again.
Third quarter
15:00: Eagles at own 16.
Eddie Goldman returns.
Goldman left field and Bilal Nichols was steamrolled on a 17-yard run by Jordan Howard. They double-teamed him and blew him out of the gap. First drive ends with Jordan Howard TD run. 19-0
10:23: Went back to the I formation and JP Holtz blocking and 2 runs net a first down. Duh. They did that last week and it worked but didn't do it this week.
Let's wait til we're down 19-0 and then run the ball. Good thinking there.
Play-action after the running game worked, and it's a 53-yard pass of Trubisky to Gabriel. What do you know? Trubisky has a run to the 1-yard line, second-and-goal. The dumbest call of the year, give the ball to Tarik Cohen on second-and-goal from the 1. He gets creamed. He is a receiver, not a running back.
Finally, a touchdown, 2-yard run by David Montgomery. Eagles 19, Bears 7.
I'm sure there are going to be questions for Matt Nagy why they didn't go for two if they manage to get back into this game somehow.
Wentz and Zach Ertz working it well today against Bears zone coverage.
Prince Amukamara with a pass defensed. He's playing a good game even though he's on his heels like all of the Bears have been.
LEONARD FLOYD LIVES! Rushes Wentz into an incompletion. Prince with another breakup on Alshon. As good as a defensive back can play that out route.
3:58: After punt Bears benefit from great Cohen return and a 15-yard penalty and David Montgomery has them in Eagles territory with a 5-yard run. Sticking with Trubisky under center and the I. Bears face fourth-and-6 at Eagles 44 and they aren't going for it.
Zzzzz snore.
2:35: LEONARD FLOYD WITH FIRST SACK SINCE THE OPENER!!!! forces punt.
Trubisky has Allen Robinson wide open and under throws and still almost completes a bomb. Robinson drops it when he hits the ground inside the 10.
Nice step up and throw on third-and-long for Trubisky to Taylor Gabriel to end the quarter with first down in Eagles territory. Eagles 19, Bears 7
Fourth quarter
15:00: Why the Bears didn't use more I-formation and play-action earlier like they did last week is a total mystery. The Eagles are acting like they never thought they would even see that tactic again. They're confused by it, especially in the secondary including the linebackers. It's hard to blame them for that. Nagy doesn't like it but who cares? His plays and preferences aren't working at all. Ultimately, though, Pederson has to know Nagy won't stick with that.
Beautiful pass down the center of the field against the zone to wide open David Montgomery for 30 yards to the Eagles 12. Nice seam play. Tarik Cohen runs where they should run him, outside on a toss, gets inside the 1-yard line for a first-and-goal play. Had a TD but replay reverses it. Again running the play under center not out of the gun.
Montgomery dives over from inches away like Walter Payton would have. Eagles 19, Bears 14
15:00: Eagles do a great job setting up a middle return and Miles Sanders slips and falls at the 14. Jordan Howard runs through a run blitz by Eddie Jackson and gets first down on second-and-1.
Brent Urban with his first meaningful Bears play, swats down a Carson Wentz pass. He is about 6-6 1/2. Near Kyle Fuller pick on third-and-11 goes for incompletion. Jeffery actually dropped it with Fuller right off his shoulder.
Bears defense energized. Offense has the ball at its 31 looking to take the lead. It's hard to pin it on one thing but maybe two. The defense refused to quit and the offense scrapped the gun and went to the I and scored two TDs.
Montgomery breaks a 17-yard first-down run out of the I.
9:35: Bears set up the screen perfectly and Montgomery drops it. No Eagles defenders capable of stopping him for 30 yards. Eagles break up third-and-9 pass. Bears punt from their 48. Sproles muffs the return out of bounds at the 11.
7:30: Two plays net 7 yards. Eagles face third-and-three. Jeffery beats Eddie Jackson for a third-down catch at the 32. Jeffery has to leave the field for the med tent.
Sack by Aaron Lynch. Mack ran him up into the sack. Third-and-eight and Eagles false start makes it third-and-13. Screen to Sanders lets the Eagles out of the hole. Nice play. He caught the screen, Montgomery dropped his. Wentz on second-and-9 for 6 and it's third-and-three. Bears call timeout. 3:06
They flip it outside to Ertz, and Sherrick McManis was beat outside, like he was in the playoff game for the winning touchdown.
2:55: Second-and-eight. Eagles at the Bears 43. Mack stuffs Jordan Howard for a loss of 1. Third-and-nine with 2:24 left. First down on a pass to Goddert in middle of the field on a screen.
That completion just about does it. 2:15 left. No Bears timeouts left.
Even with the comeback, the lesson is the same. You don't run the ball, your defense stays on the field all game, you lose. It's been the same all season long. Nothing different. Jake Elliott adds a field goal after long time-consuming drive. Bears can't even return the kick. Adam Shaheen bobbles a squib kick and the Eagles recover. Eagles 22, Bears 14
Final: Eagles 22, Bears 14
Check back on Bearmaven/SI for post locker room coverage.
