Five Storylines for Eagles-Bears Week 15 Matchup

CHICAGO – There isn’t much expectation that the Chicago Bears will hang with the Eagles on Sunday when they kick it off at 1 p.m. inside a frigid and wind-whipped Soldier Field.

Sometimes NFL games don’t always go to form.

The Bears are 3-10 but are coming off their bye week and three of their previous five games have been decided by three points or less.

So…

Here are five storylines for Sunday’s game:

JALEN HURTS VS. JUSTIN FIELDS

Will one of these quarterbacks run for more than 100 yards on Sunday?

Their running skill set is similar, but Hurts is far more developed as a passer and has better weapons, so count on the Eagles QB throwing for more yards than Fields, at least.

GOOD DAY TO RUN

With the frigid air – it’s probably about 25 degrees – and the wind – it’s whipping – the Eagles' best plan of attack might be to run Miles Sanders and Hurts.

Sanders has set a career-high in rushing in two of the last three games.

He ran for 143 vs. the Packers then, two weeks later, ran for 144 last week against the Giants.

Could this be another career game from the running back?

TRAP GAME

Nick Sirianni said he doesn’t believe in them, yet most of the week was spent asking the Eagles about comments from Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons regarding Jalen Hurts.

And that Christmas Eve game looms on Saturday.

The Eagles have scored touchdowns on their first offensive possession in seven of their previous eight games.

That would certainly help alleviate any sort of “trap” notions.

EXECUTION

The Eagles can’t afford to have a game as they did in Indianapolis last month when their offense did nothing. It had just three points through three quarters before finally getting into gear and coming from behind for a 17-16 lead.

Let the Bears hang around and the Eagles could be in for a real fight against the worst team in the NFC, based on record.

The Eagles have been rolling, winning the last two games with margins of victory wide enough that they have been able to pull their starters during the fourth quarter.

SPYING

How will defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon try to contain Justin Fields?

One idea could be to keep a spy on him, and speedy linebacker Kyzir White may draw that duty.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.

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