Eagles-Bears preview: Matchups, storylines to watch, game predictions

Our Philadelphia Eagles writers Zach Berman and Bo Wulf preview Sunday’s matchup against the Chicago Bears.

Wulf: Hi, Zach. Wet enough for ya?

The Eagles travel to Chicago for the meat of their NFC East road-game sandwich as nine-point favorites over Justin Fields and the Bears. Working in Chicago’s favor? It’s coming off a bye, so it figures to be rested and armed with extra prep time. Head coach Matt Eberflus also presumably knows Nick Sirianni’s tendencies well from their time together as coordinators under Frank Reich.

Working against the Bears? Pretty much every on-field matchup. Their defense ranks 32nd in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), 31st against the pass and 29th against the run. They’ve been just as bad of late, ranking 32nd in DVOA since Week 10. For an Eagles offense that has proven it can win in a variety of ways, it might be difficult deciding what to attack when everything in the Bears’ defense seems exploitable. But the matchup up front is perhaps the most lopsided. Chicago ranks 31st in sack rate, so it might be another case of “pass to get ahead in the first half, run it relentlessly in the second half.” Barring turnovers, it’s hard to envision how the Bears stop the Eagles, especially with Dallas Goedert expected to return from injured reserve.

On the other side of the ball, Fields is getting sacked at a higher rate of pass attempts than any quarterback since David Carr in 2005, so the Eagles’ pass rush will have its chance to continue compiling. The passing offense is fairly dismal. But Fields’ legs are the X-factor. According to TruMedia, the Eagles rank 31st in the league in EPA (expected points added) per play and 32nd in success rate when the opposing quarterback runs the ball. I think that’s a bit misleading since the only true rushing threats they’ve played against are Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones, but it’s a factor Jonathan Gannon will have to address. Fields entered Week 15 ranked eighth in the league with 905 rushing yards, and he’s the only player in the top 10 with a success rate over 50 percent when he runs.

Fields will also test the Eagles’ ability to prevent big plays. Only Nick Chubb and Josh Jacobs have more runs of 12 yards or more than Fields’ 23. With Reed Blankenship not playing and C.J. Gardner-Johnson still on injured reserve, the Eagles are short-handed in the secondary. Will they use someone like Kyzir White as a “spy” on Fields, or simply rely on a heavy dose of zone coverage and rallying to the ball?

Are there any other matchups in particular that jump out to you? And what did you learn this week from talking to players and coaches?

Berman: Thanks for kicking it off, Bo.

The concept of a spy is interesting, and White would make sense in that spot. Gannon has said the defense never wants to get beat on the bread-and-butter plays. Fields’ legs will be the focus of Gannon’s plan. Easier said than done, although their priority last week was keeping Jones in the pocket. Jones and Fields are different players, but the key will be disciplined rushes from the Eagles’ defensive line more than a spy. (That said, they might use a spy.)

“You can’t be selfish when you play quarterbacks with that type of skill set,” Gannon said. “It’s really everyone has to rush together, whether you’re rushing four, five or six. You have to stay disciplined, and you have to be where you’re supposed to be, and I thought they did a good job of that. They know the value of that, of the rush plan I’m talking (about), and executed at a high level. …

“(Fields) is electric, so we’re going to have to have some tools that we use and we’re going to have to do basically the same thing because the way that they move the ball down the field is all through the quarterback. Got a big-time challenge with that.”

You did a good job outlining the matchups. The advantage the Eagles have on both lines of scrimmage is the difference in this game; I see their offensive line beating up this Bears’ front, and I don’t think Chicago’s offensive line is stout enough against Philadelphia’s front. Unless Fields looks like Vince Young against USC, there’s simply too much of a mismatch.

As for what I learned in the locker room, here are three items from the week:

1. The football world mourned the death of Mississippi State coach Mike Leach, who coached Gardner Minshew and Andre Dillard at Washington State. Minshew was emotional discussing his coach, who he said changed his life. “The confidence, when you know your coach has your back and believes that you’re going to do well, it’s easy to do,” Minshew said. “That confidence he instilled in me is the biggest thing I’m grateful for.”

Minshew suggested that he literally wouldn’t be in the NFL without Leach. As a transfer from East Carolina, Minshew had planned to go to Alabama to hold a clipboard and learn to coach. Leach offered him a chance to throw the ball all over the field in the Pac-12. That led to a magical season at Washington State and eventually getting drafted. Minshew could play another decade in the NFL. It wouldn’t have happened without Leach.

“I’d be coaching right now, getting my ass ripped by Nick Saban probably twice a day,” Minshew said. “I couldn’t be more indebted to him and the impact he’s had on my life, my family’s life. … Can’t put into words how grateful I am for him.”

2. Know who’s a pro? Anthony Harris. He was a starting safety for the Eagles who didn’t make the roster this year. He was a surprise cut and spent a week on the practice squad before going elsewhere. Now he’s back on the Philadelphia practice squad, with a seemingly better attitude about rejection than many people — in and out of football — might possess.

“Different things happen in this business, people come and go,” Harris said. “Ultimately, we have a good enough relationship (where) we were able to come back and reunite. I was grateful for the opportunity to be here last year. Continue to build with guys. Wasn’t able to work out to start the season here, so we parted ways. But now it’s an opportunity to be back here together.”

There’s a chance Harris could be elevated for Sunday’s game to provide safety depth. He knows the system and is respected by other players in the secondary. It wasn’t the way it was designed when the Eagles let him go, but such is life in the NFL.

“Wilder things have probably happened,” Harris said. “Life tends to have a way to come back around.”

3. There are close connections between these coaching staffs, as you mentioned. Eberflus was the defensive coordinator in Indianapolis when Sirianni was there, and Gannon worked under Eberflus.

“I think he’s a phenomenal coach. I really do,” Sirianni said. “We had a lot of talks, whether that’s, hey, how we’re getting ready for practice, how we’re going to do this segment of practice or this and that. Frank (Reich) kind of would set the stage and he’d say, ‘You two figure out how you’re going to go through this in training camp or whatnot,’ and I’m happy for him because it’s well-deserved that he is in the position he’s in right now as the head coach of a good organization.

“It is neat. You build friendships with people. He probably lived — probably couldn’t have thrown a baseball to his house from where I lived, from my house — but some guys, Jalen (Hurts) probably could. Our families got to know each other. He’s got a great family, and he’s a great person. He’s a great football coach.”

When Gannon came to Philadelphia, Eberflus told him to coach how he wanted to — not necessarily like Eberflus. But Gannon took much from Eberflus during their two years together.

“He’s one of my greatest mentors,” Gannon said. “But I tell people all the time, like working for Flus for three years, he has elite leadership qualities, and I took a lot of those with me. I really did. He’s helped me tremendously as a person and a football coach, being detailed all the time, and how to hold players accountable all the time. He’ll be a head coach for a long time. I’m not surprised by the success that he’s had, and he’ll continue to ascend, I’m sure.”

Man, that was a long email! This is probably why we’re better off texting.

Let’s get right to the predictions. What do you think happens Sunday?

Wulf: I had my antenna up last week against the Giants because division games can be wonky and the coaches knew each other well. Then the Eagles came out and blew the doors off. So now I’m trying to fight the same instinct again. The Bears are coming off their bye week. Surely, they’ll be rested and ready with a special game plan, right? And Eberflus will have the book on Sirianni?

But this Eagles team has pretty much passed every test that has been sent its way, save for an uncharacteristic spat of turnovers against the Commanders. Even the ensuing letdown against the Colts was a testament to their mettle. So I won’t bet against them in a game that otherwise looks like a prototypical “trap.” One other thing they’ve done throughout the season? Correct what looks like weaknesses midstream. I think they’ll find a way to do that against Fields the rusher/scrambler, even if he’s bound to make his fair share of big plays. Without Chase Claypool, I’m not sure what else they have on offense. Even more so, I don’t know how Chicago stops the Eagles’ offense. Eagles 33, Bears 20 

Berman: I understand there’s a perception this is a trap game with the Cowboys matchup next week. I don’t believe that will be the case Sunday. Even if Fields plays the game of his life, can the Bears keep pace with the Eagles’ offense? Chicago’s defense has allowed 33.5 points during the past six games. Unless the Eagles have multiple uncharacteristic turnovers and the Bears control the clock to keep Philadelphia’s offense off the field, the Eagles shouldn’t merely win — they’ll also cover. Sirianni’s group moves to 13-1 and will be knocking on the door of the top seed and a first-round bye leading into the Dallas game next week.  Eagles 31, Bears 17

(Photo: Troy Taormina / USA Today)