CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- You're more than welcome (encouraged, even!) to read all of the recap below, but quite frankly, I can sum up the Bears' 25-20 loss to the Eagles on Sunday in two words: Injuries suck. Teven Jenkins' neck injury was a scary moment that the crowd at Soldier Field never quite rebounded from, and concerns about Justin Fields' leg, Equanimeous St. Browns' concussion and Jack Sanborn's ankle will be major storylines during the lead-up to Chicago's game against Buffalo next Saturday. But we do technically have to talk about this game a little more first, so let's get it over with.
Offense: C-
The Bears committing two false starts in their first three plays, on the opening drive of the game, while coming out of their bye week is The Good Stuff. After that, the first quarter was a wholly unpleasant 15 minutes of injuries and uninspired football. Then, as is tradition, Fields (14-of-21 for 152 yards and two touchdowns with 95 rushing yards) ripped off an insane run -- this one went for 39 yards -- that made everyone forget about anything else. And yeah, he may have stepped out of bounds early, but who's to really say what is and isn't out of bounds? David Montgomery's nine-yard touchdown run immediately after gave the Bears a brief lead, but in this world, we're pretending it was Fields' score (sorry David). Considering that the Bears offensive line allowed five sacks in the first half alone, it's a small miracle that they were only down 10-6 at the break – and also that sometime within those five sacks, Fields still found a way to set the franchise record for quarterback rushing yards in a single season. Credit where it's due, though – the Bears' offense capitalized on the chances the Eagles gave them. Fields' 10-yard touchdown pass to Montgomery in the third quarter was a great example of recognizing the defense and making a smart play. It also energized an otherwise grumpy, cold crowd. Don't give the Bears too much credit though. Almost immediately after, while they were driving and looking to take the lead, Velus Jones Jr.'s fumble on a double-reserve gave all that energy (I wanted to say momentum, just FYI) right back. It'll be interesting to see how much Jones is involved in any of the Bears' last three games. And now, a few fun pass-catching facts for you: Bryon Pringle led the team in receiving yards (39), Cole Kmet led the team in receptions (four) and Nsimba Webster had more targets (three) than Jones.
Defense: C+
Jalen Hurts came into the game with only three interceptions all season. Then on the Eagles' first drive, he tossed up the easiest pick that Bears rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon is ever going to have. Football! Through the first half, the Bears' defense once again played far above expectations – Jaylon Johnson made a couple of particularly nice plays against A.J. Brown, one of which came in the Bears' end zone. DeAndre Houston-Carson (!) got in on the action too, picking off Hurts midway through the second quarter. It got a little ominous right at the two-minute warning of the first half, when the Eagles marched the ball 86 yards in 90 seconds and, quite literally, walked into the end zone to take the lead. Gordon's career day continued into the second half, with his fumble recovery in the third quarter briefly giving the sickos who showed up to watch this game in person a tiny bit more hope. The Bears' front seven didn't do a whole lot – shouts to Joe Thomas for the team's one sack though – but they did hold the NFL's best team under 20 points for three-and-a-half quarters, which feels like an accomplishment.
Special teams: D
It was a huge day for this unit. Whether it was getting flagged for an illegal formation on the opening kickoff or punting from the Eagles' 31-yard line, the Bears' special teams led the way in helpful reminders that hey, the Bears are now 3-11. Cairo Santos missed another extra-point attempt – his fifth of the season – which was just the icing on the cake. Trenton "All-Pro" Gill did have a 56-yard punt, however, which ruled. The Bears also tried an onside kick, which didn't work. Alas.
Cam Ellis is a writer for 670 The Score and Audacy Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KingsleyEllis.
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