Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Game Preview – CHI at PHI

Posted November 28th, 2025 | No Comments »

The Bears are in Philly for a key NFC matchup. I didn’t think this would be a crucial game when looking over the schedule back in the summer. The Bears had a good offseason, but still felt like they were a year away from competing. But here they sit at 8-3, atop the NFC North. The stats will tell you the team isn’t that good.

Football people will tell you to forget the stats and focus on the 8 wins. The team has plenty of flaws, but they are finding ways to win games.

The offense is legit. Ben Johnson has good weapons to work with and has put together a really good unit. Chicago is 8th in scoring and 6th in yards. QB Caleb Williams is much improved from an erratic rookie season. Williams has drastically cut down on his sacks. He is making plays as a passer and runner. He looks like a different player.

The Bears are second in the NFL in rushing. They have D’Andre Swift as the leading rusher with 649 yards. Kyle Monangai gets a lot of work as well and has 461 yards on the season. Williams has run for 293 yards and can be dynamic when he’s on the run. Bears WRs have run for more than 100 yards this season. Johnson runs the ball creatively and aggressively.

The receivers have a lot of potential. Rome Odunze has 42 catches and 6 TDs. DJ Moore and Luther Burden are key targets as well. Burden has terrific RAC ability. Rookie TE Colston Loveland is a weapon in the passing game.

None of this would work if not for an improved OL. The Bears made that a focal point in the offseason and the changes have worked well. They allow Johnson to run his offense and be creative.

The Bears defense is a very different story. They are 27th in points and yards allowed. The only thing keeping them from killing a promising season is that the Bears lead the NFL in takeaways. They have five games with 3 or more takeaways. This group makes plays. Safety Kevin Byard and CB Nashon Wright each have 5 INTs. Throw at them at your own risk. Those guys are in the right place at the right time. DE Montez Sweat leads the team with 7.5 sacks and 3 FFs.

Chicago is hurting on defense.

The Eagles need to attack the middle of the Bears defense. They can do that with runs and passes. They want to make the Bears backup LBs think and then chase. Use misdirection and some play action. This is a matchup the Eagles must exploit.

Obviously the biggest key when facing the Bears is to protect the ball. They are 0-2 this season when they don’t have a takeaway. The Eagles can really help themselves by just being smart and playing with good fundamentals. That is easier said than done. The Eagles were sloppy last week and it cost them the Dallas game.

Chicago is getting a couple of DBs back from injuries so that will give their defense a boost. The Bears are 30th in yards allowed per rush so this would be a good week for Saquon Barkley to get going. The OL needs to be better. Barkley has to do his part. The Eagles should be able to score some points. There was some concern about DeVonta Smith playing, but he will be active for the game and that will certainly help the offense.

The Eagles defense will have their hands full. Mobile QBs have given them fits and Williams is a special talent. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles spy him or if they blitz more to try and muddy things up. Defenders must be disciplined and they need to rally to to the ball. Tackling will be critical in this game. The Bears have guys that can make plays in space. The Eagles need to take away their explosives.

Reed Blankenship will play. He got hurt last week, but should be fine today. You need him at the back of the defense making sure everyone is lined up correctly. Sydney Brown will play alongside him. Brown has got to play under control and remember to tackle, not just go for big hits. Adoree Jackson did not have a concussion and will be able to play.

Someone asked Vic Fangio if facing the Lions already helps to prepare for the Bears. He said not really. Chicago has a mobile QB and a better TE group. The offense isn’t as efficient as the Lions. The playbook is very similar, but not the execution. The QBs see things differently. We know Johnson will have some trick plays and creative things cooked up so the defense has to play smart and under control.

The Bears haven’t beaten a good team this year so they would love to knock off the Eagles and make a believer out of some people. The Eagles better have flushed last week away and be ready for this game. It is at home and that should help to bring out the best in the guys.

Protect the ball, limit penalties and make a few plays. Do those things and the Eagles win.

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