PHILADELPHIA – Ben Johnson said it in his postgame speech. That was as close to a complete game as the Bears have played to this point. Then, in his press conference following a 24-15 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, he said his team’s best is yet to come.
He’s right on both fronts. The Bears had some lulls and critical mistakes but won this game in ways that work in cold weather. They ran the ball extremely well, and their defense got off the field on third down.
While much of this game was too close for comfort, they dominated the fourth quarter and found a way to win. The offensive line, especially on the interior, was excellent. A fully-loaded secondary was, too.
The Bears survived and advanced forward with another victory that pushes their overall record to 9-3 and into the NFC’s No. 2 overall seed.
Yep. This is real life.
Let’s see how Johnson’s group graded out in this Bears report card:
Rushing offense
The Bears ran the ball 47 times for 281 yards and two touchdowns. I mean, come on. That’s insane. So is this: D’Andre Swift (18 carries, 125 yards) and Kyle Monangai (22 carries, 130 yards) were the first pair of Bears running backs to exceed 100 rushing yards in a game since 1985. We all know what happened that season.
The backs were awesome and Johnson’s play calling was excellent, but the offensive line got a game ball for a reason. The Bears were living on the Eagles side of the line of scrimmage, getting great push up front while creating wide rushing lands for the backs to slash through. From beginning to end, the Bears were truly dominant on the ground.
Grade: A-plus-plus
[READ: What we learned from Bears statement win over Eagles on Black Friday]
Passing offense
The weather was a real factor on Friday, with swirling winds and gusts that were hard to predict. It impacted both quarterbacks in this game, which is partly why Caleb Williams’ stat line looks so messy.
He was 17-for-36 for 154 yards, a touchdown and an interception. While the elements came into play, they weren’t the sole reason why Williams struggled at times. He missed a wide-open Rome Odunze in the end zone because his feet weren’t set. He was behind receivers at times and high at others. The passing game overall was out of sync, and Williams’ interception to Jalyx Hunt in Bears territory could’ve been costly. Yet another low completion percentage for Williams (at just 47.2%) but he was 5-for-7 passing with a touchdown to Cole Kmet after the pick. That’s a plus that he was better at the end.
Grade: D-plus
Rushing defense
The Eagles employ Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts. They only had 87 yards rushing on 17 carries. Barkley averaged 4.3 yards per carry, which is a win knowing what he’s capable of. Hurts was effective on scrambles, but the Bears run defense was impactful everywhere, even when they were playing in the dime package with six defensive backs. The defensive front was solid, lead by Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr. on the interior, and cornerback Nahshon Wright straight up stealing the ball from Hurts.
Grade: A
[READ: Five Bears players whose stock went up in NFL Week 13 win over Eagles]
Passing defense
The Bears had a difficult time with A.J. Brown, who had 10 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 12 targets. DeVonta Smith wasn’t his explosive self. The Bears didn’t have a sack but generated pressure on Hurts, which led to Kevin Byard III’s league-leading sixth interception.
The Bears were better with Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon back in action, even if they were on a snap count. The Bears featured their defensive back depth by frequently playing in dime packages, which could be a mainstay moving forward. Save a few big catches from Brown, the Bears were effective (along with the wind) keeping the Eagles passing game at bay.
Grade: B-plus
Special teams
The wind made the kicking game tricky, but Cairo Santos hit his only field goal and his extra points after Bears touchdowns, while Eagles counterpart Jake Elliott struggled. Those little moments were important, as were the coverage units preventing explosive returns in a close game.
Grade: B
[WATCH: How D’Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai made Bears history in Week 13 win at Eagles]
Coaching
Ben Johnson’s run designs found near-perfect ways to attack the Eagles’ Vic Fangio-led defense. It was creative, with motions, misdirections and lots of elements to give defenders pause. Dennis Allen found a way to get all those talented defensive backs on the field and limit Philadelphia’s explosiveness. The staff also deserves credit for this winning stretch, with nine victories in the last 10 games. The Bears are rolling because of the culture and confidence that has been built by Ben Johnon and his staff. Oh, and Ben Johnson gave the people hot dogs from Wiener’s Circle because he took his shirt off during his “Good, better, best,” postgame speech. You can’t ask for any more than that.
Grade: A-plus
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