The Bears’ Ben Johnson and the Eagles’ Nick Sirianni may be the two most annoying head coaches in the NFL today. They are also among the best. But this is where Johnson is one over on Sirianni. During Black Friday last November, very audible “Let’s go Bears” chants echoed inside the walls from a three-quarters empty Lincoln Financial Field in the last three minutes of Chicago’s 24-15 victory, which was nowhere near as indicative of how lopsided that debacle was.
Chicago outgained the Eagles by almost
200 yards on the ground, giving up a season-high 281 yards rushing to the Eagles’ 87. The Bears ran off 85 plays to the Eagles’ 51, and almost doubled the Eagles in time of possession, 39:18 to 20:42.
Everyone on and off field found out who Kyle Monangai was, after he rushed for 130 yards. The Bears did not need star quarterback Caleb Williams then and will not have him Monday night when the Eagles seek their revenge for last year’s embarrassment.
Williams is likely out with a hamstring injury, backup Tyson Bagent is in concussion protocol and probably will not play either, leaving the Bears with 38-year-old fossil Case Keenum. Keenum, or no Keenum, he may be nothing more than handing the ball off to Monangai and former St. Joe’s Prep star and former Eagle D’Andre Swift. Those two will be helped by Bears’ right guard Jonah Jackson, another Bear with more Philadelphia ties, as a former star at Rutgers and Penncrest High School in Media, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia.
Chicago has the No. 1 rushing offense in the NFL, averaging 212.5 yards rushing a game, along with an NFL-best 6.1 yards rushing per carry, and NFL-high 35 rushes a game. The Eagles will try and stop that attack with a rushing defense that is giving up 127.0 yards rushing per game, ranked 24th in the NFL.
This is also an Eagles’ team that yielded an embarrassing 27-yard run—on a third-and-22 play—to Tyjae Spears. Jalyx Hunt, who has been somewhat disappointing at the edge, lost outside contain, tackle Moro Ojomo got thrown down, three plays after making a tackle for loss, and safety Marcus Epps took a bad angle as Spears went by him down the left sideline.
If it were Monangai, the play may have wound up in the end zone.
Eagles’ defensive Vic Fangio remembers last year’s Black Friday game and the struggles the Eagles’ defense had against the Bears’ running game.
“We’ve got to play it better, obviously,” Fangio said. “They are one of the better running teams in the league. They’ve got a really great O-line, great backs. Their scheme is good. We’re going to have to play it a whole lot better.”
The Bears have scored 10 TDs this season—eight have come rushing the ball.
With Williams being out, that diminishes much of the Bears’ running threat. Johnson and his staff performed a masterclass of strategy in totally outcoaching Sirianni the last time these teams met. Johnson is very capable of out scheming Sirianni and Fangio again.
The Eagles should win this game, though becoming heavily reliant on one player—Jalen Hurts—to continue bailing them out behind a porous offensive line tends to have a short shelf life of success, and can finish your quarterback for the season.
How long can Hurts stay upright and healthy behind this mess?
Maybe that gets answered Monday night.
