The Eagles enter Wild Card weekend as the biggest underdog in the NFL, as the Chicago Bears are six-point favorites this Sunday at Soldier Field.
The defending Super Bowl champions opening the playoffs as underdogs makes sense. They have been extremely inconsistent this season, they have not played as well as the Bears have and they have to go into Soldier Field, one of the tougher places to play in the NFL.
The game on Sunday won't be decided, however, by the resumes both teams that put together this season.
Despite entering the game as underdogs, the Eagles have a great chance to go into Chicago this Sunday and beat the Bears, pulling off the upset and beginning another postseason run.
Here is why the Eagles will beat the Bears:
Hot offense: The Eagles' offense was a mess for the majority of this season, but a successful postseason run is about how a team is playing entering the playoffs, and head coach Doug Pederson's offense has been one of the best in the league since Week 12. Since Week 12, the Eagles are third in the NFL in points-per-game at 27.0. They are second in the NFL with an average of 2.49 points-per-drive. They have topped 30 points twice in their last three games after doing it just once in their first 13 games. Their improved offense hasn't come against scrub opponents either — they have done it against two playoff teams with two of the best pass rushes in the NFL in the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams.
The Bears, on the other hand, haven't scored 30 points in a game since Week 10, and haven't topped 25 points since Week 13.
Scoring wins in today's NFL, and as last year's Super Bowl showed, it wins in the postseason as well. The Eagles have the much better offense heading into Sunday's game.
Eagles' defense is forcing turnovers: 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.
Eagles can neutralize the Bears' pass rush: The Bears' 12-4 season was built on the back of their pass rush and defensive end Khalil Mack. The Bears haven't won a game this season when they have allowed more than 22 points, showing that if the Bears' defense isn't playing at an elite level and the pass rush isn't getting home, they likely aren't going to win.
The Eagles' offense is perfectly set up to neutralize the Bears' pass rush. Quarterback Nick Foles has been getting rid of the ball lighting quick over the last three games, averaging a pass attempt in 2.23 seconds from the snap. He has been sacked just four times in the last three games.
That is bad news for the Bears. This season, as good as their defense has been, they have given up an average of 23.5 points when the opposing quarterback gets rid of it in an average of less than 2.5 seconds.
If Foles and the Eagles' offense plays the same game they have the last three weeks, the Bears' pass rush shouldn't play much of a factor in Sunday's game.
Pederson vs. Fangio: One of the biggest chess matches of the game on Sunday will be Eagles head coach Doug Pederson vs. Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. It is a chess match that Pederson has dominated so far in his career. Although the personnel of both teams has changed plenty since 2016, Pederson's offense has gone against Fangio's defense twice since he became head coach of the Eagles. Pederson's offense has averaged 30 points in the two matchups.
PREDICTIONS: 94WIP hosts make their picks for Eagles vs. Bears
Playoff Experience: The Eagles have stepped onto stages much bigger than the one they will on Sunday. Head coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Nick Foles are very much accustomed to big games, and they have been very tough to beat in them. Foles is 11-1 in his last 12 primetime games. The Eagles' roster as a whole has played over 100 more combined playoff games than the players on the Bears' roster. That doesn't mean the Bears will definitely shrink in the moment on Sunday, but it does mean there is a much better chance they do as opposed to the Eagles.
Foles vs. Trubisky: More times than not, the team with the better quarterback is going to win in the NFL. That is especially true in the playoffs. Neither quarterback on Sunday are viewed among the best at their position, but there is no denying that the Eagles enter the game with a serious advantage with Nick Foles on their side as opposed to Mitchell Trubisky. Foles is red-hot entering Sunday's game, having carried the Eagles into the postseason with three straight wins. Foles might not have the raw talent that Trubisky has, but he when it comes to a big game, there are't many quarterbacks tougher to beat than Foles.
Prediction: Eagles 30, Bears 20
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
