The season opener was a masterclass for the Chicago Bears offense but a disappointment for the defense. If there is one bright side out of Chicago’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2, at least the defense played much better.
Defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo got just his second sack as a member of the Bears against Minnesota as well as his second game with multiple quarterback hits since joining Chicago in 2025. After the game, he reflected on how the Bears handled the line of scrimmage versus the Vikings.
“I think we did a good job of knocking the line of scrimmage back,” Odeyingbo said. “I think we were able to do well in situational [football] - end of half, red zone, third and fourth down. We were able to get off the field. So I think those
are some things we can carry over in the next week.”
Chicago will play their first prime-time game of the season in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Their quarterback Jalen Hurts has had an up-and-down journey in the NFL. He has gotten the Eagles to the playoffs every year since 2021 despite his inconsistent performance and the 2026 season has been no different.
In Philadelphia’s season opener, Hurts put up three touchdowns with no interceptions but in their second game against the Tennessee Titans, his two interceptions led to 10 points for the Titans. One thing that has been consistent across the first two games is that Hurts has been sacked three times. Knowing the Bears will be facing a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Week 3, Odeyingbo said Chicago’s defense will have to be at their best.
“Obviously [Hurts] is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL,” Odeyingdo said. “They play a physical game, so yeah, we have to be at our best game on defense as well.”
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Dayo Odeyingbo says Bears defense must be at their best vs. Eagles
