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Week 12 GDT: Bears (3-7) vs Eagles (9-1)

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Sugashane

Sugashane

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No one had one up so I threw one together real quick.

 

 

 

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The now 9-1 Philadelphia Eagles will host the 3-7 Chicago Bears on Sunday, in what is, on paper, a lopsided matchup. However, it should be noted that the Bears beat the 8-2 Steelers and 7-3 Panthers this season, so they are certainly capable of pulling off upsets.

Storylines

Soaring Eagles: The Bears visit one of the two hottest teams in the NFL on Sunday. The Eagles, whose eight-game winning streak is matched only by the Saints, haven’t lost at home and they boast the highest-scoring offense in the league at 32 points per game. Balanced offensive attack is led by second-year quarterback Carson Wentz and former Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. “(Alshon) has been a bright spot on offense,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “He works hard every single day. He doesn’t complain. He doesn’t come crawling into my office saying he’s not being targeted enough.”

Trubisky vs. Wentz: It would be difficult to watch the game and not wonder if Bears rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky can make just some of the strides Wentz has made in his second season. Like Trubisky this year, Wentz was the second overall draft pick in 2016. With a year under his belt and more weapons at his disposal, Wentz has piled up 2,430 yards and 25 touchdowns passing and 224 yards rushing. “He has just gotten better and better in all facets,” Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “They are a very diversified offense, and he’s managing it and operating it very well. You would never know it’s just his second season.”

Kicking off: When Connor Barth missed a tying kick in the final seconds against the Lions, he sealed his departure paperwork. Now the Bears will see if fourth-year kicker Cairo Santos can be more effective after recovering from a groin injury that prompted the Chiefs to cut him. “It feels amazing to be healthy and to get an opportunity to play in such a great organization,” Santos said. “I was hoping this opportunity would work out for both of us. I was impressed from top to bottom from Ryan Pace to the coaches and people around here, that it gives you a good atmosphere as a player to come and succeed.”

Defensive deficiencies: The Bears defense took another big hit when outside linebacker Leonard Floyd went down with a knee injury Sunday against the Lions. To go along with Floyd missing a significant amount of time, the Bears were banged up early this week in practice, as inside linebacker Danny Trevathan again sat out with a calf strain and defensive end Akiem Hicks was hobbled with a knee issue. All of these injuries make it that much more difficult to slow Wentz and the formidable Eagles offense. “They’re starting to pile up a little bit,” Fangio said. “But our guys have a good attitude, and we’re going to go out and play.”

 

Matchups

Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky
  • Bears on offense

In the air

NFL rank: Bears offense 31st, Eagles defense 19th

Improved pass protection last Sunday against the Lions enabled rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky to get to the third option in his progression more consistently. And when his footwork is sharp, his throws are accurate. Receiver Dontrelle Inman (nine catches, 131 yards in two games) reliably comes back to the ball. Eagles first-round rookie defensive end Derek Barnett (41/2 sacks) effectively bends the edge of his rushes by getting low to turn the corner. The Eagles have 14 interceptions to the Bears’ four.

On the ground

NFL rank: Bears offense 5th, Eagles defense 1st

Jordan Howard averaged a career-high 8.3 yards per carry last Sunday. He’s on pace for 1,346 rushing yards, which almost certainly would get him back in the Pro Bowl. Right guard Kyle Long isn’t healthy (right ankle, left shoulder, left hand), but even at less than full strength, his athleticism is critical to the running game. Eagles tackles Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan are asked to penetrate the backfield in their 4-3 scheme, so the Bears must get off the ball on time and win early in the down. In addition to Howard, who is a north-south runner, the Bears have a very shifty, dynamic running back in Tarik Cohen, who leads the team in receptions and is second in receiving yards. The Bears at times like to use Howard and Cohen in the game at the same time, which is a unique look in today's NFL. "They put both backs on the field at the same time a little bit," said Schwartz. "Sometimes it's two-back sets, sometimes it's one. Traditionally there's a fullback back there in two-back sets, but not so much with the Bears. They can put two guys back there. It spreads you a little bit thin. You have to be very assignment sound. It'll test us in the run game."

Trubisky, like a many of the other quarterbacks the Eagles have faced this season, is a threat to run, as he has 21 rushes for 163 yards (7.8 YPC). "He's mobile," said Schwartz. "I think that's probably the big thing. They're running the ball, and they also do enough stuff with read option and some gadget plays to take a little bit of the pressure off of them. They're a good screen team, and he's developing as a quarterback. I'm sure there's things he wants to work on. There's things that we need to keep him from having success with. He's been able to make a few plays with his legs, also, so that adds another dimension to him."

Typically, teams with losing records are forced to throw significantly more than they run, since they are trailing in most games. The Bears are an exception, as they will stick to the run, even when faced with deficits. In fact, they run the ball on 48.2 percent of their plays, which is second-most in the NFL. That plays right into the strength of the Eagles' defense, who still have the top-ranked run defense in the NFL, allowing just 71.0 rushing yards per game. The Eagles also come into this game unhappy that they gave up over 100 rushing yards to the Dallas Cowboys, even with a blowout win.

"There's some teams in the league that -- what did we give up, 110, 112," Jim Schwartz asked on Tuesday. "I think some people might get a pat on the back for that. I think it's a tribute to the players in the locker room that that's a poor performance for them, and they consider it a poor performance."

 

Bears 26th in total offense, T-27th in points scored

Eagles 7th in total defense, 7th in points allowed

  • Eagles on offense

In the air

NFL rank: Eagles offense 15th, Bears defense 12th

Second-year quarterback Carson Wentz is an NFL MVP candidate because of his athleticism, toughness, pocket awareness, accuracy and smarts. He extends plays and makes advantageous changes before the snap. As reliable tight end Zach Ertz has commanded defenses’ attention, former Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery has taken advantage of single coverage in the last three games (12 catches, 213 yards and four touchdowns). The Bears will badly miss Leonard Floyd’s athleticism rushing the passer. They will have to be creative with their rushes.

On the ground

NFL rank: Eagles offense 2nd, Bears defense 12th

In the two games since trading for running back Jay Ajayi on Halloween, he has had runs of 46 and 71 yards on excellently-blocked plays. Otherwise, he has averaged 3.9 yards on 13 carries. He runs with power, good vision and runs behind his pads. The Eagles also rotate LeGarrette Blount and rookie Corey Clement, formerly of Wisconsin. Blount runs between the tackles and Clement offers a receiving element. The Bears need Danny Trevathan (calf) and end Akiem Hicks (knee) to strengthen the middle.

Eagles 3rd in total offense, 1st in points scored

Bears 11th in total defense, 15th in points allowed

 

 

 

The assignment

Alshon Jeffery

Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery (No. 17)

Assigned: Bears cornerbacks Prince Amukamara (No. 20) and Kyle Fuller (No. 23)

Notable numbers: Jeffery ranks 50th in the NFL in receptions (38), 26th in receiving yards (567) and fourth in receiving touchdowns (six). … The former Bear has been heating up recently with 12 catches, 213 yards and four touchdowns in his last three games. … The Bears starting cornerbacks have yet to record an interception this season.

Scouting report: Jeffery signed a one-year, $9.5 million deal in March but hasn’t fully emerged as the game-changer the Eagles envisioned. He has yet to record a 100-yard game and has topped 75 yards just twice. But Jeffery remains a big part of the Eagles’ passing attack and has been targeted a team-high 80 times. He hasn’t been consistently productive in snatching 50-50 balls in coverage and could hit the open market again in four months. Still, the Bears have enough familiarity with Jeffery to understand the way he can affect a game with his deceptive speed and large catch radius. Eagles coach Doug Pederson has also praised Jeffery for his work ethic, unselfishness and natural connection with quarterback Carson Wentz. That trust seems to be growing

Word from within: “There may be a lot of emotion but at the same time, it’s part of the business. You may face your old team (at some point). You may stay with a team forever. … I look at it as a normal game. I’m ready to play.” — Jeffery, on facing his former team

 

 

 

Scouting report

Zach ErtzZach Ertz, Eagles TE

Information for this report was obtained from NFL scouts.

Zach Ertz is in his fifth season since the Eagles drafted him in the second round out of Stanford in 2013. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder, who missed the Week 2 meeting with the Bears last season because of a rib injury, is fifth among NFL tight ends this season with 45 receptions, fourth with 536 yards and second with six touchdown receptions.

He is coming off a career-best season in which he caught 78 passes for 816 yards and four touchdowns for then-rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. He has five career 100-yard games, all against NFC East opponents.

“He should be in the discussion with (Jason) Kelce and Gronk (Rob Gronkowski) as the best tight end in the league,” the scout said. “And that’s based on his route running. He’s a very smooth route runner just like Kelce. Gronk is bigger and a little clunkier at times but Ertz’s athleticism is underrated in my opinion. Watch him and he gets in and out of breaks with really good footwork and he accelerates out of his break. He runs the seam route as well as anyone. He gets the safeties to widen outside and then he snaps it off and kind of turns that seam into a quick post. If you’re a defensive back, what do you do? You’re stuck outside and even if you drive on the ball he’s going to use his frame and leverage to keep you away from it. Ertz has real soft hands at the point of attack and he’s really good after the catch.

“He’s kind of like Greg Olsen when he was younger, a little faster. He’s a guy who can catch a crossing route and turn it into 25 or 30 yards or catch a ball in the flat off a boot play, break a tackle and go for 25. He’s pretty good blocking too and just look at how much they’re running the ball this year. Second in the league in rushing attempts and they are pounding the hell out of the ball on the ground. They’ll use him in two tight, three tight and he’s good. He can hold up and is better than you would think. Ertz will run the corner route, the deep square-in well. You’re talking about a complete tight end with playmaking ability.”

 

Predictions

Bears head coach John Fox

John Fox, the Bears' 15th head coach, looking lost as he tries to figure out "how to football."

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Prediction

Eagles 34, Bears 20

 

Another note is Reich is a serious HC candidate for 2018, does he see enough with the team that he is interested in leading them? Does Pace look past the beatdown to see how inept our HC is?

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Sugashane

Sugashane

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Just now, AZBearsFan said:

Hicks is so frickin’ good. Home run signing AND extension by Pace. 

Damn straight.

 

Cooper can't even be competent on special teams though. Horrid signing.

 

Wentz with the hard count actually got his own lineman to jump. Expect a LOT of hard counts, especially on 3rd.

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