Eagles Report Card: Grading the brutal loss to the Bears
Birds earn embarrassingly low marks across the board
From The Reporter: https://tinyurl.com/9nbt55wh
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles saw their Black Friday showdown with the Chicago Bears turn bleak, falling 24-15 in an ugly showing as frustrated fans, braving the frigid, blustery conditions, rained down boos at Lincoln Financial Field.
Quarterback: C-
Jalen Hurts delivered a poor performance: he passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns — both to A.J. Brown — showing flash and aggressiveness downfield. But he also threw an interception, fumbled the ball away on a tush push and missed several open throws, which woutweighed his few positives.
“Ball security is very important to going out there and winning games,” Hurts said. “That approach has served us well and I don’t think that approach is an issue. I think we just have to go out there and execute. Again, you can be aggressive and still protect the ball. So, we’ve got to find that formula for us.”
Running back: C-
The offense leaned heavily on the pass, and the ground game never developed real momentum. Saquon Barkley averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry, but was handed the ball just 13 times. The backs were also limited in producing after contact, which often came behind the line.
“I don’t think something big needs to change,” Barkley said. “The sky is falling outside this locker room, we understand that. But I have nothing but the utmost confidence in the men in this locker room, the players and coaches.
“And it’s going to take all of us to come together, block out the noise. We can’t be pointing fingers, we all (need to) look internally because everybody is contributing to the way we’re playing right now — literally every single body.”
Wide receiver/Tight end: C+
A.J. Brown was sharp, hauling in 10 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns — the clear offensive bright spot of the night. But beyond him, offensive contributors didn’t do enough to fully support the passing game. Intermediate- and deep-threat potential went underutilized, especially when the Bears adjusted coverage. Some key drops stalled drives.
Dallas Goedert had just two catchers for 27 yards on four targets, despite the Bears being depleted by injuries at linebacker.
Offensive line: C+
The banged-up O-line gave Hurts time for the most part, but it failed to generate push in the running game or open clean lanes on zone or outside runs. On occasions when protection broke down, the pocket collapsed too quickly, turning promising plays into punts or stalled drives.
Defensive line: D+
The front showed flashes but mostly got dominated. It disrupted the Bears’ interior on several plays and managed some pressure that forced hurried throws. But the D-line couldn’t consistently penetrate or generate sacks. The Bears moved the ball at will, putting together several long drives, and ran wild for 281 ground yards.
“They did a really good job of how they attacked and executing it,” coach Nick Sirianni said of the Bears. “Hats off to them, but obviously we’ve won a lot of football games being on the other end of that. We’ve just got to get back to playing and coaching Eagles football.”
Jalyx Hunt did have an interception — his second of the season — off a deflection from Jalen Carter’s helmet.
Linebacker: C-
The linebackers struggled in both run defense and in coverage, particularly over the middle and on crossing routes. Missed assignments and a lack of impact on third-down hurt them (Chicago was 10-for-17 on third down).
Cornerback/Safety: D
The Bears repeatedly found soft spots over the top and in intermediate zones, compiling chunk plays that extended drives and set up scores. Tackling was uneven, and communication breakdowns in coverage were evident.
Special teams: D+
Special-teams play was unremarkable: no explosive returns or field-flipping plays. Punter coverage and return-unit execution were average; penalties and occasional poor lane discipline limited potential bursts. Kicker Jake Elliott missed a key extra point and a pair of field goals.
Coaching: D
The Eagles looked unprepared. They were outcoached in all phases, which Nick Sirianni admitted afterward. The defense uncharacteristically got pushed around up front. And much of the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field began chanting for offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo to be fired. Sirianni said postgame he won’t be fired or stripped of his play-calling duties.
“It’s the greatest team sport there is and it’s never about one person,” Sirianni said. “We all have to look internally, and all have to get better, coaches and players.”
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