CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- The Bears battled the best team in the NFL but came up short in a 25-20 loss to the high-flying Eagles on Sunday at Soldier Field. Here are the observations from the game.
Eagles show what Bears aspire to be
On third-and-6 with two minutes to go, quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles needed to move the chains one last time to secure their victory. And for the 16th and final time Sunday, Hurts targeted star receiver A.J. Brown, who made the catch in coverage to pick up the first down.
Brown had nine receptions for 181 yards and was once again a game-changing player in the Eagles’ offense. Fellow receiver DeVonta Smith played his part as well with five receptions for 126 yards. In what was a down day in Hurts’ MVP-caliber season, he leaned on his top targets to make plays.
What was Bears quarterback Justin Fields thinking as he watched from the sideline? His leading wide receiver who was healthy enough to play Sunday was Equanimeous St. Brown, who hauled in his 18th reception of the season on the Bears’ first drive before suffering a concussion. The Bears were missing receivers Chase Claypool (knee), N’Keal Harry (back) and Darnell Mooney (ankle).
That Fields produced an efficient passing performance – 14-of-21 for 152 yards and two touchdowns – was a credit to his talent. But the Eagles’ dynamic offense was a reminder to first-year Bears general manager Ryan Poles that the supporting cast around Fields needs to significantly improve.
Brown was acquired by the Eagles in a blockbuster trade during the NFL Draft last spring that sent a first-round pick back to the Titans. He was available to be dealt after contract negotiations in Tennessee broke down. Brown has proved to a star capable of uplifting Hurts in his third season and has helped Philadelphia emerge as a Super Bowl favorite.
Smith was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and represented a pivotal investment in Hurts ahead of his second season. Brown has 74 receptions for 1,201 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, while Smith boasts 71 catches for 901 yards and five scores.
Before Brown and Smith entered the fold for the Eagles, their leading wide receiver in Hurts’ rookie season of 2020 was Greg Ward, who had just 53 receptions for 419 yards and six touchdowns that year. Ward is currently out of the league.
Hurts struggled to establish himself as a franchise quarterback prior to this season, but the Eagles wisely built around him. It’s what Poles and the Bears need to do for Fields entering his third season in 2023.
Poles should take advantage of every opportunity available to improve the Bears' offense. He made an effort in early November, when the Bears acquired Claypool from the Steelers in exchange for a second-round pick. While Claypool has just 12 catches in five games in a Bears uniform, the hope is that he can build a stronger connection with Fields this offseason and be a reliable target alongside Mooney.
The wide receiver class in free agency won't have premier talent available, so the Bears' best paths to adding at the position will be through the draft or perhaps the trade market, which was busy a year ago as Brown, Tyreek Hill (Dolphins) and Davante Adams (Raiders) were all dealt.
Whatever it takes to transform the team around Fields, the Bears need to pull it off. From afar, they've seen how the Eagles have blossomed into a championship contender and Hurts has become an MVP favorite. Opportunity is knocking this offseason.
Mr. 1,000
Fields on Sunday reached the 1,000-yard mark in rushing for the season, becoming just the third quarterback in NFL history to do so. The 23-year-old Fields joined the company of Michael Vick, a childhood hero of his as he grew up in Georgia, and 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
But Fields isn’t looking at that 1,000-yard milestone as an annual goal of his.
“No, sir,” Fields said. “I don’t plan on rushing for 1,000 yards every year.”
It was a bit surprising that Fields shot back at that so quickly, but there’s context to consider. Fields is striving to be a more complete quarterback. He wants to be a prolific passer who has the ability to make plays on the move.
Fields views his running ability – which is so often spectacular – as a necessity until the Bears' passing game becomes a more polished product.
“I’m going to improvise and try to do whatever I can to put points on the board as possible,” Fields said. “I don’t plan on rushing for 1,000 yards every year.”
On Sunday, Fields produced another highlight-reel run as he ran 39 yards on second-and-27 to set up a 9-yard touchdown run by running back David Montgomery in the second quarter.
That run came to fruition for Fields as there were no targets open. Running was his only option. That has too often been the case for the Bears this season. Fields often trusts his legs more than he does his ability to force a pass into a tight window to a receiver who didn't gain much separation.
If the Bears can supply Fields with more weapons, he'll have the chance to produce as many sensational passing plays as he does running plays.
Breakdown
Hurts scored the easiest touchdown you could find in the NFL late in the second quarter, courtesy of a breakdown by the Bears’ defense.
Rookie safety Jaquan Brisker came on a blitz from the secondary but worked into the wrong A gap, which already was plugged by a Bears defender. It left the other A gap between the center and left guard wide open and without any defender at the second or third level.
That miscue by Brisker left Bears coach Matt Eberflus frustrated postgame.
“(Brisker) is supposed to be in the other gap,” Eberflus said. “We should have had that. That's unfortunate that that happened. I think (defensive coordinator Alan Williams) called a great pressure there in that situation. That's what it was.
“It's alignment, assignment, key technique. If you want to execute in the critical moments, which that might have been a critical moment, third-and-10, you have to get that done. We expect our players to do that. We challenge them to do that.”
Hoping for the best
The Bears suffered a few potentially significant injuries Sunday.
Right guard Teven Jenkins was stabilized on a stretcher after suffering a neck injury during the Bears’ first drive. Jenkins was taken to a local hospital for further observation, and the early indications were “encouraging,” Eberflus said. Jenkins has played at a high level this season and earned a place on Chicago’s offensive line moving forward.
Undrafted rookie linebacker Jack Sanborn, one of the best stories on the roster, suffered a potentially serious left ankle injury that required him to be carted off. Sanborn seems to have secured a place at middle linebacker heading into next season, but his health is now a concern.
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson suffered a rib injury late in the game as he attempted to break up a pass to Brown, which went for a 68-yard reception. Johnson was "hurting," he told reporters after the game.
Extra points
-- The Bears were penalized for an illegal formation on the opening kickoff. It certainly didn’t set a good tone, but they settled in.
-- Johnson lives for matchups against premier wide receivers, and it was a heavyweight fight with Brown, whom he shadowed in coverage all day in a game plan change from the Bears. Johnson asserted himself well most of the time despite Brown's big day.
-- Bears rookie receiver Velus Jones Jr. hauled in a reception on the first play of the game. It marked his only catch in a disappointing performance that also included his third fumble of the season. Jones has endured a really difficult rookie campaign.
-- A Bears rookie who did play well was cornerback Kyler Gordon, who had his second interception of the season. He has continued to improve throughout the course of the year.
-- Hurts entered Sunday with three interceptions in 13 games. The Bears picked him off twice.
-- The Bears seem intent on rotating Alex Leatherwood and veteran Riley Reiff at right tackle rather than giving Leatherwood the full workload at the position. A first-round pick of the Raiders in 2021, Leatherwood was brought in as a project. It hasn’t panned out well thus far.
-- Looking ahead to Saturday at Soldier Field, where the Bears will host the Bills, weather forecasts are calling for bitter cold, sub-zero wind chills, winds of 25-35 mph with gusts higher and 12-18 inches of snowfall leading up to kickoff. The season started with a monsoon and now gets a blizzard. That's Bear Weather.
-- Three games to go.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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