PHILADELPHIA — The Chicago Bears simply out-muscled the Eagles on Friday night, leaving no doubt who controlled the line of scrimmage. Chicago finished with a commanding 281 rushing yards en route to a 24–15 road victory at Lincoln Financial Field.
Here are five things we learned from a sorry showing by the defending Super Bowl champs.
1. The Bears were more physical — especially in the trenches
From the opening drive, Chicago imposed its will. The Bears (9-3) consistently ran behind an assertive offensive line, chewing up yardage and controlling time of possession. Their bruising ground game kept the Eagles’ defense on its heels all night.
Kyle Monangai and former Eagle D’Andre Swift each had over 100 rushing yards — the first time a pair of Bears backs did that in a game since 1985, with Walter Payton and Matt Suhey.
2. Chicago’s offense looked far ahead of Philly’s
Coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears ran their offense with rhythm, balance and creativity. They mixed runs and passes effectively, used misdirection, often converted when needed, and sustained long drives — including two fourth-quarter touchdowns that sealed the game.
The Eagles’ offense, in contrast, again stalled too often, had trouble sustaining drives and failed to match that efficiency. After the game, and despite fans’ chants otherwise, coach Nick Sirianni said he’ll use the extra days off to “evaluate everything” but said he’s “not changing the play-caller,” offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.
3. Jalen Hurts had one of his worst nights in recent memory.
Hurts’ passing — while delivering two touchdowns to A.J. Brown — lacked consistency, and the offense sputtered outside of a few sparks. The lack of a balanced attack and failure to control the line of scrimmage contributed to a rough night overall for the veteran quarterback.
Hurts threw an interception and fumbled the ball away, finishing 19 of 34 for 230 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
4. The WR/TE group showed flashes, but not enough.
A.J. Brown’s two TD catches offered rare bright spots (he finished 10 for 132), and the WR/TE corps did manage some positive plays. But overall, they couldn’t overcome the lack of offensive rhythm. Drops, lack of separation and inadequate protection limited their impact, leaving the offense one-dimensional at times.
5. Eagles are still searching for an identity
Beyond the physical mismatch and offensive struggles, the most concerning takeaway was how disjointed the Eagles (8-4) looked. The run game lacked purpose, the passing game lacked rhythm, and the defense couldn’t establish any foundational strength to lean on once things started to tilt Chicago’s way.
The banged up offensive line, which is without All-Pro tackle lane Johnson, can’t be overlooked. But for a veteran roster with championship expectations, Friday’s performance felt more like a team in Week 1 mode — still figuring out who it is, what it does well and how it wants to play.
Afterward, Hurts admitted as much: “We need an identity.”
Not ideal this deep into the season.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc for the latest updates.
Source: Berkshire mont