The Philadelphia Eagles will head to Chicago for a Monday Night matchup against the Bears, looking to start the season with back-to-back road wins and a 3-0 start.
Philadelphia has shown flashes of what the offense can be, but it needs to improve its early-down struggles. Until then, many questions remain offensively. They need to be far more consistent.
The defense will look to become the dominant unit many expect. Facing an opponent without their starting quarterback could be the jumping-off point they need to begin a run of dominance.
Monday night offers another chance to answer questions and ease doubts.
Who: Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears
When: Monday September 28, 9:15PM ET
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago
How: ESPN
The Eagles’ defensive front against the Bears’ offensive line could be the biggest factor in this game.
Chicago will want to establish the run and keep Philadelphia off its quarterback. With starting QB Caleb Williams out, along with their second string, they will likely face a familiar foe, Case Keenum.
The Eagles need to make whoever starts at QB uncomfortable. If they can win early downs and force the Bears into obvious passing situations, their pass rush will take over.
Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and the rest of the interior defensive line can make life miserable if Chicago can’t get movement up front.
Philadelphia doesn’t need to blitz heavily if the front four is winning, and that is the advantage this defense should have, and the way DC Vic Fangio wants to play it.
The Philadelphia Eagles offense needs to be more consistent.
The Eagles haven't been able to establish the run this season, and despite offensive line struggles, they need to find a way to make it work.
If healthy, Saquon Barkley needs to be a major part of the game plan. Jalen Hurts is comfortable in the passing game, and the Eagles have enough weapons on the outside to force Chicago to defend the entire field if they can get any semblance of stability from the ground.
What makes this offense difficult to defend: motion, play-action, formations that create matchup problems, as opposed to simply lining up and asking the offensive line to win every snap.
Eagles OC Sean Mannion has been good at sequencing and adding new designs into the passing game, and if the OL's struggles continue, it may be time to adjust and lean into a pass-first offense.
The Eagles can’t afford another game where the offense goes through long stretches of empty drives and no production on early downs. They pulled out a win in Nashville, but they have the talent and skill to produce much more.
The Bears will want to run the football, like they did last year against the Eagles. By staying ahead of the chains and creating manageable situations, they dominated Philadelphia’s defense. The Birds need to take that away early and force them into a one-dimensional attack.
The Eagles' secondary has done a good job avoiding the explosive plays and giving up easy completions. If they make the Bears earn every yard, they can force them into a turnover. The defense needs to get one.
Fangio doesn’t need to, and rarely will, create exotic pressure packages. If they play to their strengths, they can consistently win up front early and tee off on third-and-longs.
There are going to be games where Jordan's impact shows up in the stat sheet, and there are going to be games where his presence creates opportunities for everyone else.
This could be one of those games where he takes over by collapsing the pocket and disrupting the offense from the interior. Chicago will struggle offensively if the DTs are successful. With Jalen Carter playing through an injury, Davis could be the star of the show.
Moro Ojomo has been playing well with the extra opportunities to be on the field, and Ty Robinson could see more snaps Monday Night.
Nobody invests more in the trenches than Philadelphia, and this is the perfect matchup where that investment pays dividends.
How quickly can Philadelphia take control up front? If the Eagles dominate the trenches, Chicago will struggle to stay competitive.
The Eagles need to continue developing the passing offense. Hurts spread the ball to nine different receivers in Nashville and still featured DeVonta Smith, who had 10 catches for 117 yards. They have the weapons and have yet to get receiving production from first-round pick Makai Lemon, despite some packages that have been designed for him to get the ball. It would be intriguing to see him get some opportunities over the middle and produce some yards after the catch. The Eagles have sorely lacked YAC.
Monday night on the road is not the time to let an inferior opponent hang around. The Eagles had an early turnover in Nashville that led to a close game; Philly needs to establish control early and make Chicago chase all night.
425- That is how many rushing yards the Bears have over their first two games.
4.2- Philadelphia’s defense is allowing opponents to average 4.2 yards per carry.
6.1- Chicago’s per-carry average
The Bears' run game against the Eagles' defensive front is the matchup to watch.
The Eagles should win this game despite being manhandled by Chicago last season.
Chicago is playing at home, and Monday Night Football can create a different atmosphere, but the Bears are without their starting QB, and Philadelphia has more talent and should control the line of scrimmage.
The Eagles don’t need to make this complicated.
Run the football. Protect Hurts. Create pressure. Don’t give up explosives.
If the Eagles do that, they head home with another win.
Eagles 30, Bears 13
Philadelphia’s defensive line will make the difference. They were embarrassed last season and will make amends on Monday night.
Will Caleb Williams play on Monday? The Bears QB is considered week-to-week after his injury on Sunday. Case Keenum will likely be starting in his place.
Will Zach Ertz suit up? Ertz signed with the Eagles' practice squad on Monday. With no Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra or Eli Stowers, there's a strong chance we see the veteran make his Eagles return against Chicago.
Who do the Eagles play next? After the Bears, the Eagles will face the Rams before travelling across the pond to play the Jags in London.
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