The Chicago Bears (3-11) suffered a 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles (13-1), where the Bears lost their seventh straight and regained possession of the No. 2 overall pick in 2023.
When you’re sitting with just three wins through 14 games, all that’s left are moral victories. So let’s take one with this game, where the Bears kept things close arguably the NFL’s best team and gave the Eagles quite a scare for four quarters.
Chicago’s defense came to play, frustrating and limiting one of the league’s best offenses, while Justin Fields once again made NFL history (and once again made some highlight-reel plays down his best offensive lineman and top four receivers).
There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s loss against Philadelphia. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 15 game.
The Bears’ Week 15 loss vs. Eagles
Alyssa Barbieri
You know what, I’m really proud of what the Bears did on Sunday against the Eagles. For four quarters, they went toe-to-toe with arguably the best team in the NFL — and they only lost by five. It speaks to the effort and resiliency of this Matt Eberflus squad and only reaffirms my belief that Flus is the guy for this job. Ultimately, though, the talent gap was made quite apparent and the superior roster won out. Still, this is one of those games that not only helped Chicago’s draft stock (welcome back, No. 2, my old friend), but leaves you feeling good about the direction of this team (once GM Ryan Poles works his magic this offseason).
We’ve got to start with the defense because they really answered the bell against the best offense in the league. Philadelphia was the NFL’s top scoring offense (29.7 points per game) and had the second-best rushing attack (behind Chicago) and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts, who had been playing pretty flawless football until he tossed two interceptions against the Bears. Jaylon Johnson had his best game of the year, and he showed what he’s capable of against some of the league’s best wideouts. Watching Johnson and A.J. Brown battle all game was so much fun. Kyler Gordon made an immediate impact in his return, accounting for two takeaways (an interception and fumble recovery). The defense was the reason Chicago was still in this game right up until the final drive. And considering the injuries and roster deficiencies, it was pretty damn impressive.
Then there’s Mr. Human Highlight Reel/Superman, Justin Fields, who has made this 3-11 season so much more exciting than it probably should’ve been. Even down his top four receivers and best offensive lineman (Teven Jenkins), Fields put on a show for the home crowd, including an insane 39-yard run that had people losing it. Fields not only set the Bears’ single-season record for rushing yards in a season by a QB (surpassing Bobby Douglass), but he also reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark, becoming just the third quarterback in NFL history to achieve the feat. Oh, and that was all while trying to survive behind a battered offensive line that almost got him killed. If there’s anyone that even remotely tries to argue that Fields isn’t the guy in Chicago, we’re gonna throw words.
Brendan Sugrue
Perhaps the Eagles were looking ahead of this week’s game against the Bears to get to the Cowboys, but we saw a competitive game from start to finish that should have fans feeling good about the future. The Eagles did everything they could to stop Justin Fields from beating them on the ground by containing the edges and he was still able to rush for 95 yards. He was down his top three wideouts and the Eagles defensive front seven was destroying the Bears offensive line time in and time out, yet he still threw two scores and finished with a quarterback rating of 119.5. It can’t be like this forever, but considering the circumstances in late 2022, this is another big step in the right direction.
On defense, we saw the young core of the Bears secondary play their tails off against one of the best offenses in the league. Jaylon Johnson was tested all day long and passed almost every single time when he covered A.J. Brown, matching him stride for stride. Kyler Gordon, meanwhile, got his second pick of the year and scooped up a fumble in his return from injury, showing that promise that made him such a high draft prospect. The defense keeping Philadelphia to just 10 points in the first half is also a win, especially with how they have been playing lately.
Truly, the biggest loss on Sunday wasn’t the game, it was the injuries. Teven Jenkins had a scary-looking neck injury that at first blush, reminded fans of the Johnny Knox injury from 10 years ago. Jenkins was sent to the hospital and the hope is that he’s alright. They also lost other key contributors such as Equanimeous St. Brown and Jack Sanborn. Even Fields gave fans a scare with his cramping late in the fourth quarter but was able to return. Those aren’t the losses you want to see late in the year when the season is already lost.
Ryan Fedrau
A hard fought game is all you can ask out of the Bears at this point of the season. They’re 3-11, on a seven-game losing skid, and have nothing to play for. The last three games are about keeping Justin Fields healthy, letting the team continue to progress, and seeing who deserves to be on the roster next season.
The Bears had chances to win this game but couldn’t do it. They couldn’t pull the trigger. Credit to their defense, who intercepted Jalen Hurts multiple times. The second worst team, record wise, fought hard and lost by only five to the best team in the NFL. That’s something to build off of.
