The Chicago Bears will have to go back to their traditional roots of running the football and defense for their Week 3 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.
Chicago is likely going to be without top quarterback Caleb Williams, and the status of backup Tyson Bagent is unknown as he works through concussion protocol. On offense, the running game of the Bears will have to be a focus, and on the defensive side of the ball, they’ll have to lean into their playmaking and turnover creating abilities if they want any shot against an undefeated Eagles team.
The Bears' identity through two weeks is simply unknown as it was a tale of two completely different weeks from Week 1 and Week 2. One thing that is certain, the Eagles will
be no easy task, even as they have their own injury concerns, especially to star running back Saquon Barkley. With or without Barkley, the Bears defense will have their work cut out for them and their best hopes of staying competitive will be to cause chaos on defense.
Here are the top defensive keys for the Bears going into Monday Night Football against the Eagles:
Contain the run game
This point becomes a much bigger focus if Saquon Barkley is on the field for Philadelphia, as he is currently recovering from a stinger he suffered in the Week 2 win over the Titans. Without Barkley, the team will turn to Tank Bigsby to be their top running back, but will also likely lean on quarterback Jalen Hurts to make plays with his legs, something he has excelled at in his career and a scheme Chicago hasn't had to plan for yet this year. Philadelphia likes to flex their muscles in the trenches, the Bears can't allow them to break off big runs, especially early, such as they allowed Aaron Jones do in the Week 2 loss to Minnesota.
Force turnovers
When the Bears win the turnover battle, they're usually winning the game. Forcing three turnovers against the Carolina Panthers was big for the defense, particularly with rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad making the most of his opportunities. In the loss to Minnesota, the Bears did not create a single takeaway, even more disappointing with the sloppy weather that plagued the matchup. If Chicago can force turnovers, they should set themselves up in favorable position, especially riding momentum in front of their home crowd.
Limit big pass playing opportunities
In the first two weeks of the season, opposing quarterbacks have averaged at least 5.0 yards per pass play, and that needs to get cut down at some point this season. With opponents being able to set the tone on early downs using big rushing plays, quarterbacks are able to pick apart the Bears secondary which has been a major area for concern in the first two games. With veteran Tyrique Stevenson battling a hamstring injury, Chicago has to make it a group effort to hold down Philly's passing attack.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 3 keys for Bears defense against Eagles in Week 3 prime-time game
