Bears vs Eagles: Three Things To Watch On Monday Night Football

By Simon Carroll

The Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears meet in a fascinating Monday Night Football matchup, with both teams arriving at Soldier Field with plenty to prove. Philadelphia is 2-0, but its unbeaten record perhaps tells only half the story, while Chicago is trying to recover from a disappointing loss to Minnesota that also left its quarterback situation in considerable doubt.

For the Eagles, this is an opportunity to turn narrow victories into something more convincing. For the Bears, it could be about finding a way to make life difficult for Philadelphia even if their most important offensive player cannot take the field.

With that in mind, here are three of the biggest storylines to keep an eye on when the two teams meet.

Are the Eagles really as good as their 2-0 record suggests?

There is nothing wrong with being 2-0, of course, and the Eagles deserve credit for finding ways to win both of their opening games. But there is also a difference between being unbeaten and being completely convincing, and Philadelphia has certainly not been the latter so far.

The Eagles opened the season with a narrow victory over the Commanders before heading to Nashville last weekend and producing another dramatic finish against the Titans. Philadelphia trailed 20-17 with less than two minutes remaining, only for Jalen Hurts to lead a 65-yard touchdown drive which ended with Darius Cooper catching the winning score with just nine seconds on the clock.

Hurts finished with 264 passing yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions. Philadelphia’s offense produced some excellent moments while simultaneously giving Tennessee opportunities to stay in the game. The Eagles ultimately won by four points, meaning their two victories have come by a combined six points.

That makes Chicago an intriguing test. The Bears may be dealing with significant uncertainty at quarterback, but Philadelphia cannot afford to assume that will automatically make this a comfortable night. The Eagles have already shown that they can win close games, but eventually the margin for error disappears.

There is also the small matter of expectations. Philadelphia is not being judged against being merely unbeaten. This is a team with ambitions of being a genuine contender in the NFC, and those teams are expected to turn opportunities into convincing wins.

Monday night therefore represents another chance for the Eagles to demonstrate that the record reflects more than simply their ability to escape with victories.

Who is actually going to play quarterback for Chicago?

The quarterback situation in Chicago has become one of the most intriguing parts of this matchup.

Caleb Williams left Sunday’s 9-3 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings with a right hamstring injury after scrambling on a first-and-goal play in the fourth quarter. Head coach Ben Johnson subsequently described Williams as week-to-week. The encouraging news is that the Bears did not receive an indication of a major injury, but Johnson did not expect Williams to practice this week and has left his availability for Monday night open.

That would ordinarily point towards Tyson Bagent taking over. Unfortunately for Chicago, Bagent also suffered an injury after replacing Williams against Minnesota and is currently in concussion protocol. As of Wednesday, he was unable to practice.

That potentially leaves veteran Case Keenum as the man under center. Johnson has insisted that he has confidence in all of his quarterback options, but it is nevertheless a remarkable situation for a team preparing for Monday Night Football.

The uncertainty also makes this a fascinating tactical challenge. If Williams plays, Chicago retains the explosive playmaking ability that makes him such a dangerous dual-threat quarterback. If he cannot go, the Bears may have to adjust considerably, particularly given that Bagent and Keenum offer very different levels of experience and familiarity with the offense.

Philadelphia’s defense will therefore have to prepare for multiple possibilities rather than simply one game plan. And while the Eagles may prefer to see a less mobile quarterback opposite them, they cannot afford to overlook what Chicago can do elsewhere.

Which brings us neatly to perhaps the most important matchup of the night.

Can the Eagles stop Chicago's running game this time?

There is a very good reason Philadelphia’s defense has been talking about Chicago’s running game all week: the Eagles know exactly what it can do to them.

When these teams met in Philadelphia last November, the Bears ran for a staggering 281 yards in a 24-15 victory. D’Andre Swift produced 125 yards on 18 carries, while Kyle Monangai added 130 yards and a touchdown on 22 attempts. It was the first time since Walter Payton and Matt Suhey in 1985 that two Bears had each rushed for at least 100 yards in the same game.

It was not simply a case of Chicago breaking a couple of huge runs, either. The Bears controlled the line of scrimmage, possessed the ball for more than 39 minutes and repeatedly put Philadelphia’s defense under pressure. The Eagles managed only 87 rushing yards themselves.

The biggest factor here? This part of the matchup remains relevant even if Williams cannot play. Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has already acknowledged that the Bears’ running game does not depend on quarterback-designed runs. Chicago operates heavily from under center, allowing its offensive line and running backs to attack without requiring Williams to be a major part of the rushing production.

That could be particularly important on Monday night. If Chicago has to turn to a backup quarterback, Ben Johnson has every reason to make the game simpler by leaning on Swift and Monangai.

The Eagles know what is coming. The question is whether they can actually stop it this time.

The Boyle Sports angle

For those looking to add a little extra interest to Monday Night Football, Boyle Sports are offering new UK customers £40 in free bets when they join and bet £10, while the Bears vs Eagles matchup also comes with a 25% Bet Builder Boost.

The offer shown above is subject to the full terms and conditions, including a minimum £10 deposit and stake, minimum qualifying odds, and a maximum £20 stake on the 25% boost. The promotion is for new UK customers excluding Northern Ireland, with the free bets expiring after seven days.

And this particular game lends itself nicely to the Bet Builder angle because there are so many variables to consider. The Bears’ quarterback situation could dramatically alter the game script, while Philadelphia’s ability to contain Chicago’s rushing attack could determine whether this becomes another tight Eagles finish or something altogether different. Fancy a flutter? Click the link above and up the intrigue of what is already a key NFC battle on Monday night.

18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. T&Cs Apply  18+. UK/IRE, online only. Min odds 3/1. Max stake £/€20. One bet per match. Boost paid after settlement. Max payout £/€1,000. Singles only. Free, void & cashed-out bets excluded. Acc/payment restrictions apply. T&Cs apply.

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

Lead Writer, Head of Content

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST, COVERS THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION and is A college football writer for dazn.

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