The Eagles and the Chicago Bears enter Sunday's contest as two very evenly matched teams in many ways. The result should be a close contest that could come down to the final few minutes.
If the game is as close as many expect, taking care of the ball is going to be absolutely crucial. Giving the opposing team an extra possession, or putting them in excellent scoring position, could be the difference between which team is sent home and which one is planning to play next weekend.
At one point in the season, it seemed a forgone conclusion that the Bears would be the extremely safe bet to win the turnover battle. Like almost everything else with the Eagles' season, however, that has changed lately.
The Eagles were one of the worst teams in the NFL for the majority of this season at forcing turnovers. They ended the season with just 17 takeaways in 16 games, tied for 22nd in the NFL. The Bears, on the other hand, forced a league-leading 36-turnovers this season.
In their last four games, however, the Eagles have forced eight turnovers — which is actually two more than the Bears have forced in the last four games. The defense's ability to create turnovers was huge in wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Houston Texans. It also kept them in their close loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15.
The two teams have been essentially even on offense. The Bears have one more turnover on offense this season with 24, compared to the 23 turnovers the Eagles have this season. Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has 12 interceptions and six fumbles in 14 games, while Eagles quarterback Nick Foles has four interceptions and four fumbles in five games. That means on average, Foles is either turning the ball over or putting it on the ground an average of 1.6 times per game. Trubisky's average is 1.2, slightly lower than Foles.
As for the likelihood of either team winning the turnover battle, the Eagles have won the that battle in just four games this season. They are 2-2 in those games. The Bears, on the other hand, have won the turnover battle seven times, and are 5-2 in those games.
The fact that it is even a debate as to which team is more likely to win the turnover battle is a credit to how much better the Eagles' defense has been playing as late.
To keep their season alive and advance to New Orleans for the next round of the playoffs, they are going to have to keep it up this Sunday in Chicago.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
