The Chicago Bears entered Black Friday’s showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles 8-3 but received skepticism from many. Critics said that they hadn’t beaten anyone, conveniently overlooking the past week’s victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, a probable playoff team. The Bears faced a huge road obstacle against the defending Super Bowl Champion Eagles and passed with flying colors. Chicago controlled the game from start to finish, getting the decisive 24-15 road victory that wasn’t as close as the score indicates.
The Bears, following the foolish firing of Lovie Smith, experienced years of losing. The Matt Eberflus years were truly rock bottom, as they went 14 and 32, a .304 winning percentage, in his dreadful stint. It’s also why this year’s success has shaken up so many people. They can’t relate to a good Chicago team and seek to diminish it.
Aaron Schatz started DVOA (Defensive-Adjusted Value Over Average) in 2003, and it measures team efficiency on a per-play basis. He said at the beginning of the week that the Bears are the worst 8-3 team ever by DVOA, which goes back to 1978. So, using nearly 50 years of data, he insisted Chicago is nowhere near as good as their record should indicate.
The Bears’ critics had a field day with this information. They suggested that Chicago would wilt as soon as they faced the schedule gauntlet starting against Philadelphia. How could a team with such a bad DVOA possibly compete against a champion?
Last season, the Bears unquestionably had the worst offensive line in the game. Defenses sacked quarterback Caleb Williams 68 times last year, and the running game was one of the most inefficient. Head Coach Ben Johnson and General Manager Ryan Poles reshaped the offensive line this offseason. They traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signed center Drew Dalman while drafting tackle Ozzy Trapilo.
The additions, along with the growth of right tackle Darnell Wright into an elite talent, have transformed Chicago’s offensive line. They rank among the top ten in all quantifiable run and pass blocking statistics. Williams, through 12 games, has been sacked 19 times.
The Bears’ offensive line saved their best for its toughest game to date. Playing on the road in front of the crazed Eagles fans, with few giving Chicago a chance to win, it rammed the ball down Philadelphia’s throat. By the game’s end, the Bears ran for 281 yards on 47 carries against the defending champs. A mediocre run game at best last year did whatever it wanted in one of the most difficult places to play. The offensive line set the tone right at the start and never let up.
D’Andre Swift returned to face the Eagles in a revenge game. He played for Philadelphia in 2023 and made it to the Pro Bowl, but they signed Saquon Barkley in the 2024 offseason. After a mediocre Chicago debut last season, Swift has been rejuvenated behind Johnson’s coaching and the offensive line’s dominance. Against his former team, Swift elevated his performance.
The Bears went 11 plays for 42 yards on their opening drive, with Swift providing 17 of them. A fourth-down gamble by Johnson failed, but did little to diminish Chicago’s confidence. It forced a punt and then ran at will on the subsequent drive, going for 64 yards on the ground. Swift ran for 26 yards and punched in from the three-yard line for the opening touchdown. A tone was immediately set, and the Bears never relinquished the lead.
Rookie running back Kyle Monangai, a seventh-round pick, has been a godsend. He has capitalized on his opportunity and formed a dynamic duo with Swift. Monangai enjoyed feasting on the Eagles’ defensive line. He joined Swift in the touchdown club, getting a huge score in the fourth quarter to turn the momentum back in the Bears’ favor.
Few predicted Chicago to win in Philadelphia; fewer projected the Bears to end up with not one, but two 100-yard rushers. Swift ended his afternoon with 125 yards on 18 carries, while Monangai topped him with 130 yards on 22 runs. The work that Johnson has done in reshaping the running game has been exemplary. On Black Friday, the Eagles had no answer.
For years, Bears fans knew their team would find a way to lose, no matter how certain victory seemed. Anytime adversity arrived, Chicago wilted. Last year, when the Hail Mary debacle occurred, the team lost 10 in a row.
This season, the Bears play their best when facing no margin for error. They have won a lot of close games, six by five points or less. Five times, they achieved victory by coming back in the fourth quarter. The nail-biting outcomes make it easy for the stats crunchers to doubt them.
Skeptics miss the fortitude that Chicago shows each week, a massive franchise transformation. Good teams play clutch in high-pressure situations. The Bears have done that behind their quarterback, who often doesn’t look pretty. Williams needs to be more accurate and consistent, but his late-game grit sets him apart. Against Philadelphia, he led his team to success once again when momentum looked lost.
The Eagles’ offense struggled against defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s schemes, a talented secondary that brought back Jaylen Johnson and Kyler Gordon, and high winds. It finally broke through late in the third quarter on a Jaylen Hurts 33-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown. Immediately on the following drive, the Bears turned the ball over on a screen pass that was intercepted. The pass shouldn’t have been made, Williams made a terrible mistake, and Philadelphia looked destined to take control.
Chicago’s defense has the most takeaways, a critical part of the Bears’ success. Unsung Nahshon Wright has been a revelation, filling in magnificently for the injured secondary with five interceptions, tied for first in the National Football League. His turnover-inducing ways came to the fore once again as the Eagles looked set to score. Philadelphia set up for its famed “tush push” on third down and one, a play that almost always succeeds.
Wright, on the other hand, wasn’t intimidated. He dove at Hurts, knocking the ball loose and recovering the fumble. A potential game-changing play lay at hand; now what would Williams and his mates do with it?
Two touchdowns on the next two drives, that’s what. As Williams has done continuously, when plays need to be made, he makes them. He guided his team to a 12-play, 87-yard drive following the fumble recovery, which Monangai finished for the score. In the next series, Williams marched the offense down the field for 63 yards and completed the drive on a beautiful strike to Cole Kmet. Chicago upped its lead to 15 points and never looked back.
Doubt the Bears all you want; they welcome the hate. The critics who say that Chicago is a fraud and will get knocked out of the first round of the playoffs need to realize that Bears fans know better than anyone the team’s limitations. Enthusiasts will look at the 9-3 record and enjoy it regardless of the low DVOA.
When the season started, all Chicago fans heard was how the schedule was too tough. The Bears couldn’t possibly compete in the brutal NFC North, even with better coaching. No one called for a Super Bowl, and enthusiasts aren’t doing that now. What they wanted was a legitimate foundation to be set that inspired hope for the future.
Chicago has that now in a huge way. Its head coach is legit, and while Williams still has much progression to make, the Bears have a coaching/quarterback duo that can win big. That is the massive victory that comes from this season, no matter what else occurs.
Chicago, though, shows much to insist it is for real. They are as mentally tough as any team in the game. The win in Philadelphia will inspire massive confidence, critical for the battles to come. The Bears are the only NFC North team to beat the Eagles, showing they can play with anyone.
Deserved opportunities are finally coming to rookie playmakers Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III. Injured defensive stars are coming back. This gives Chicago room for massive growth, even with the tough opponents to come.
Next week is a showdown with the hated Green Bay Packers and sack extraordinaire Micah Parsons. The Packers are right on the Bears’ heels, a half-game back. Chicago will be the underdog and doubted by many, just as they like it.
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