It wasn't pretty, but in the end, it might have been exactly what Jalen Hurts needed to make his MVP case.
Hurts got off to a terrible start in the Eagles 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears, but once he turned it around, the Eagles got the lead and didn't let it slip away. Hurts slow start impacting the team so much was yet another example of how valuable he is to this team and that his strong play this season is not just the result of the talent and coaching around him.
It's pretty simple — when Hurts was bad vs. Chicago, the Eagles were awful. Same roster, same coaching staff, same system. Different quarterback play, different result.
When Hurts played better, the Eagles took the game over, showing how just valuable he has been for the now 13-1 Eagles.
The win on Sunday set the stage for one of the biggest games in recent Eagles' history — Christmas Eve in Dallas against the Cowboys. Win that game and the Eagles will capture both the division and the No. 1 seed. Lose? The (small) chance they slip up and slip down the standings in the NFC remains alive.
There will be plenty of time to discuss that game, but for now, here is a recap of the win over Chicago:
4th Quarter: Eagles 25, Bears 20
The Eagles kept the Bears in the game much longer than the should have. They looked to be on their way to putting Chicago away when Hurts converted a huge fourth down midway through the fourth quarter, taking on two defenders and getting just enough on 4th-and-3 to get the Eagles a fresh set of downs. A Jake Elliott field goal attempt, however, went off the upright and ended a 19-play, 76 yard drive with zero points.
After the defense got Chicago off the field on the next drive Hurts made a throw to put the game away. Hurts hit AJ Brown down the right sideline for a 68-yard catch-and-run, giving the Eagles the ball at the 3-yard line. Hurts finished the drive off with a one-yard touchdown run, giving the Eagles a 25-13 lead that would hold onto.
The defense kept things interesting on the next drive when a huge breakdown in the secondary allowed the Bears an easy 35-yard touchdown to pull within 25-20. Hurts put the game away on the next drive with a big completion to AJ Brown on 3rd-and-6 to end the game.
3rd Quarter: Eagles 17, Bears 13
Give Jalen Hurt credit — he did not let a bad start get to him, and as the game went on, his play improved and the Eagles' lead grew. The Eagles went right down the field on their first possession of the third quarter, with the highlight being a 29-yard completion to AJ Brown along the right sideline that got the team down to the one-yard line. On the next play Hurts ran it in, his second of the game, to give the Eagles a 17-6 lead.
The sloppy play crept back up on the Eagles, however, when Miles Sanders lost his first fumble of the season midway through the third quarter. The fumble put the Bears on the Eagles' 15-yard line, and three plays later, the Bears pulled to within 17-13. The fumble looked like it might have been an incomplete pass, but the ruling was a fumble, and the Bears capitalized on it.
The turnover was their third of the day and let the Bears have hope again after a 17-6 lead felt like the Eagles were putting the game away. The defense stepped up on the following drive, however, forcing a Bears fumble. It was Haason Reddick that forced the fumble, adding to what was almost without question his best day in an Eagles uniform.
2nd Quarter: Eagles 10, Bears 6
The Eagles offense got on the board on their first drive of the second quarter, but even that drive was not impressive. The Eagles went 67-yards on nine plays, ending in a field goal to go up 3-0, but the drive included some poor throws by Hurts and penalties on the offense.
On defense the Eagles fell victim to a special play by Justing Fields, and as a result, the Bears took the lead right back. Fields escaped multiple tackles, including one in the pocket from Haason Reddick, to get free for a 39-yard gain. On the next play David Montgomery ran it in from nine-yards out to give the Bears a 6-3 lead after a missed extra point.
The bad day for Hurts continued as on the very next drive he threw another ugly interception. This pass, on 3rd-and-6, went right into the hands of DeAndre Houston-Carson after it looked like Quez Watkins didn't see the ball coming as it went right by him. For the second time, however, the Eagles' defense kept the Bears off the scoreboard following a turnover.
Hurts made his best throw of the day right before the half, hitting DeVonta Smith down the right sideline for a 38-yard gain. The play was critical in the Eagles taking the lead right before the half, as two plays later, Hurts ran right up the middle untouched for a 22-yard touchdown.
1st Quarter: Eagles 0, Bears 0
The game got off to an ugly start on offense for the Eagles. Their first two plays were short gains by Hurts where he took decent hits at the end of each run. After a special play on 3rd down by Hurts he immediately followed it up with one of his ugliest of the season when he lofted the ball up pretty much right to Bears defensive back Kyler Gordon, who easily intercepted it.
The Eagles came out pass happy, calling five passing plays and two runs for Jalen Hurts in their seven first-quarter plays. Hurts seemed off to start the game, and as a result, the offense was barely on the field. The Eagles had the ball for just 2:10 in the first quarter compared to 12:13 for the Bears.
The defense got the job done in the first quarter, making the Bears offense look pretty unimpressive and doing a good job getting after Justin Fields. Josh Sweat brought down Fields on the Bears second possession on third down, giving him 8.5 sacks on the season, a new career high. The Bears finished the quarter with 82 yards, but it took them 20 plays to get there.
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
