In a highly-anticipated Black Friday battle, the Bears proved they are a team built for January football.
On the agenda: a date with the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. At their place, somewhere notoriously difficult to play.
The odds were stacked against them. Most of the national narratives were claiming the Bears were frauds for not playing any tough teams.
But behind an overwhelming ground game and timely defensive stops, the Bears earned a massive victory. They solidified their spot as a top NFC contender.
The Significance of the Win
Black Friday often involves shoppers fighting over doorbuster deals. But in Philadelphia, the holiday weekend saw the Bears deliver a statement of pure, old-school physical force against the Eagles.
In a decisive 24-15 victory, this clash of NFC contenders turned into a massive playoff statement for the surging Bears.
The victory was pretty clear from the outset. With the exception of a short period in which the Bears held a slim, 10-9 lead, they controlled this game.
This game meant so much more than just the clinching of a winning record. It provided legitimacy to the Bears’ win streak and showed they’re in the same class as some of the league’s best.
The Bears’ Crushing Ground Game
This game, as so many in football, was won in the trenches.
With heavy winds neutralizing the passing attacks of both Caleb Williams and Jalen Hurts, the game inevitably fell into the hands of the offensive lines.
The Bears took the ball and ran with it — so to speak.
Behind this ball-control offense, the Bears nearly doubled the Eagles in time of possession, 39:18 to 20:42.
The duo of Swift and Monangai is starting to resemble that of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who thrived in Detroit under Ben Johnson. Now, the former Lions offensive coordinator turned Bears head coach has brought that brand of football to Chicago and the Swift-Monangai duo is one of the best in the NFL.
The two running backs became the first pair of Bears backs to both eclipse 100 yards rushing in a single game since Walter Payton and Matt Suhey did it back in 1985.
Defensive Effort and Momentum Swings
While the offense controlled the clock, the defense delivered the necessary blows to preserve the lead and win the critical moments.
The Eagles are not a turnover prone team and Jalen Hurts does not throw many interceptions.
But the Bears’ opportunistic defense changed all that.
Kevin Byard hauled in his league-leading sixth interception in the third quarter. Two series later, Nashon Wright stripped Hurts on a tush push play and recovered the fumble.
The Wright forced fumble came at a critical point in the game. Caleb Williams had just thrown an ill-advised screen pass that was picked off and the Eagles were driving into scoring range.
The takeaway immediately led to a Monangai 31-yard run to kick-start a 12-play, 87-yard touchdown drive that put the Bears up by 8 to start the fourth quarter.
NFC Power Shift and Momentum
The 24-15 final score marks a significant turning point in the NFC playoff picture. The victory not only handed the Eagles a damaging loss but moved the Bears up a tier.
With this win, the Bears improved their record to 9-3, which was enough to leapfrog the Eagles in the overall conference standings. It also helped the Bears maintain their grasp on first place in the North.
This rise is fueled by undeniable momentum. The win over Philadelphia is the Bears’ fifth consecutive victory and their ninth win in the last 10 games, a staggering run that has proven the team is peaking at the exact right time.
By physically dismantling one of the conference’s traditional powerhouses, the Bears have completely validated their status as legitimate NFC contenders.
This was a statement game, plain and simple.
Looking Ahead
Most fans and analysts — myself included — had this game penciled in as a loss, not just at the beginning of the season but as recently as this past week.
Dare I — we? — change our prediction in the Bears’ upcoming game against the Packers at Lambeau Field?
I haven’t changed my pick just yet. I still think a road victory over a division rival playing good ball right now and one that has also owned you for the better part of three decades is a tough prediction to make.
Then again, this Bears team is different than those of the past. This team is physical, mentally tough, and a lot smarter than others we’ve recently seen.
We’re going to learn a lot from this Bears squad not just next week against the Packers, but three weeks from now when these two rivals have clashed for the second time, too.
If the Bears can bring the same level of offensive line play and defensive opportunism against these Packers, there is no doubt they can seize control of the division and continue their march toward a deep and meaningful playoff run.
