Bears crush Eagles: Chicago, a serious contender in the NFC?

The Chicago Bears are ready for the postseason! After a resounding 24-15 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, the current Super Bowl champions, Ben Johnson’s team has proven its worth. The Bears have won nine of their last ten games, solidifying themselves as the second seed in the National Conference (NFC). The running back D’Andre Swift, after the triumph, declared: “We are real”. The team, which previously avoided talking about playoffs, now embraces the possibility.

We should trust ourselves. We must not shy away from anything. We are on a roll and we can keep improving. That’s what we should think about [the playoffs]. We have a lot of dogs in the locker room and things like that, and that’s the trend we’re following, and we’re changing the culture. That’s how we should think.

Jaquan Brisker, Bears safety

The post-game celebration included coach Johnson taking off his shirt and the promise of free hot dogs from a local restaurant. The Bears’ ground attack was key, with Swift and Kyle Monangai leading the way. They achieved the second-best mark of the season in rushing yards (281). Swift and Monangai, each with a touchdown, made history. It was the first time since 1985 that the Bears had two running backs with more than 100 yards in a game.

Monangai highlighted the importance of each possession and the need to score. The Chicago defense, with a record of 24 ball recoveries, faced an Eagles offense that had made few mistakes. Kevin Byard had an interception, and Nahshon Wright forced a fumble on an Eagles “tush push” attempt.

Personally, and the defense, we take it as a challenge. I looked at the stats before. Jalen only threw one interception this season, so I took it as a challenge to try to get one. You can even watch the film on mine, I had to really go after it, and [Wright] made an incredible play to take the ball away and recover it on the tush push. We talk about that being the reason why we’re the best in the league at taking the ball away.

Kevin Byard, Bears safety

The Bears’ defense featured the return of Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, who provided solidity. Gordon, after experiencing three losing seasons, sees in these victories the confirmation of the team’s goals.

I think you can see by the way we’re finishing each game that we haven’t finished. I think we have future plans to be somewhere past February, so that’s what we’re really looking for.

Kyler Gordon, Bears cornerback