Grading Eagles' 31-3 win over Bears in Week 12

Share

Grading the Eagles' 31-3 win Sunday afternoon over the Chicago Bears at Lincoln Financial Field (see breakdown):

QUARTERBACK
Carson Wentz: 23/36, 227 YDS, 3 TD

For the third consecutive game, Wentz avoided committing a turnover and was sacked no more than once. It's a lot easier to run an efficient offense when negative plays aren't part of the equation. Wentz's 63.9 percent completion rate was also by far the highest it's been in the Eagles' last four games. Give him 29 yards rushing for good measure. The second-year passer got a little erratic with the football late in the contest — after he had already done more than enough to put his team in the driver's seat.

Grade: A-

RUNNING BACKS
LeGarrette Blount: 15 ATT, 97 YDS

Blount lost a fumble on his fourth carry of the game, negating a 35-yard carry. For some coaches, that would've been reason enough to turn primary ball-carrying duties over to Jay Ajayi or even Corey Clement. Instead, the Eagles went right back to Blount, who carried 11 more times for another 52 yards. Ajayi would later break a 30-yard run, only to put the ball on the carpet at the 1-yard line. The numbers were there, but ball security is paramount.

Grade: C

WIDE RECEIVERS
Alshon Jeffery: 5 REC, 52 YDS, 1 TD

Jeffery exacted revenge against his former employer, leading Eagles wideouts in receptions and receiving yards against the Bears. However, Nelson Agholor and Torrey Smith demonstrated tremendous individual efforts as well. Agholor scored twice, taking a screen 15 yards to the house, then scooping up the Ajayi fumble in the end zone. And Smith returned to the game after a brutal shot over the middle, finishing with four catches for 30 yards. This was a mentally tough performance all around (see Roob's observations).

Grade: A

TIGHT ENDS
Zach Ertz: 10 REC, 103 YDS, 1 TD

Not only was Ertz a beast through the air, hauling in 10 of the 12 targets that came his way. The fifth-year player has looked greatly improved blocking in the running game this season. With Trey Burton out with a back injury, the Bears were going to get a healthy dose of Ertz — and he delivered.

Grade: A

OFFENSIVE LINE
The Eagles averaged 5.9 yards per rushing attempt (minus kneeldowns), while the Bears' lone sack of Wentz came on a play where the quarterback was attempting to scramble. The running lanes were there, and the protection was solid for most of the contest, though Chicago was able to generate some pressure in the second half. Still, the only concern was the play of Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who was called for two holding penalties. Neither flag came back to haunt the Eagles, as both drives ended in a touchdown.

Grade: A-

DEFENSIVE LINE
Brandon Graham: 5 TKL, 2 TFL, 1.0 SK

The No. 5 rushing offense in the NFL was limited to six yards on 14 attempts by the league's No. 1 run defense. In all, the Eagles' front four produced five tackles for loss. With the Bears unable to move the ball on the ground, their offense wasn't going to be much of a threat. Rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky mostly took short, quick dropbacks, but was sacked once each by Graham and Fletcher Cox and hit five times total. The D-line will eat up a one-dimensional offense every time.

Grade: A+

LINEBACKERS
Mychal Kendricks: 3 TKL

Truth be told, the Eagles' linebackers really didn't need to do much here, so let's talk about how dominant the defense was as a whole. The Bears ended the first half with just 33 yards of total offense and failed to pick up a single first down during the first two quarters. Statistically speaking, the linebackers may not have had a lot to do with that, but the unit certainly took care of its responsibilities.

Grade: A

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Malcolm Jenkins: 2 TKL, 1 INT

While Jenkins was ultimately credited with an interception, the play itself turned into a negative when he fumbled the ball during the return. The veteran safety will no doubt admit he got a little too cute, and fortunately for the Eagles, they turned right around and forced a three-and-out. Jalen Mills and Rasul Douglas broke up one pass each, Corey Graham came up with a pick in garbage time. This secondary excelled again, albeit against a rookie quarterback and undermanned receiving corps.

Grade: A

SPECIAL TEAMS
Jake Elliott: 1/1 FG, 4/4 XP

There was some concern with Elliott heading in after he missed a field goal or extra point in the previous four games, but he was perfect coming off of a concussion. Both of Donnie Jones' punts pinned the Bears' offense deep inside their own 20-yard line, while Kenjon Barner recorded one return for 17 yards. The lone issues came on kickoffs — an illegal kick out of bounds by Elliott and a 39-yard return by the Bears. Those need to be cleaned up.

Grade: B

COACHING
Eagles' record: 10-1

The Eagles were playing a vastly inferior opponent, and it sure looked like it. There were some individual miscues, but the entire team was motivated, and the game plan reduced the Bears' offense and defense to rubble. The final score could've been even more lopsided than it was, but the Eagles led 24-0 at halftime, and the result was never in question. That's a credit to Doug Pederson and Jim Schwartz, as the team extended its winning streak to nine games.

Grade: A+

Contact Us