Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 5 things to watch in Week 15

LAKE FOREST – One team has the best record in the NFL with clear ambitions of holding the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season. The other team is in contention for the top overall draft pick and has already been eliminated from the playoffs.

It sounds like a snoozer, but there are plenty of storylines within this game that will make Bears vs. Eagles intriguing Sunday. The two teams will square off for the first time since 2019. The Eagles have won five consecutive games against the Bears dating to 2013. That includes a playoff win after the 2018 regular season.

This time, two of the best young quarterbacks in the game will square off in Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts. The Bears (3-10) and Eagles (12-1) will kick off at noon Sunday at Soldier Field. The game will be broadcast on Fox.

1. Jalen Hurts vs. Justin Fields

The only quarterback with more rushing touchdowns than Fields is Hurts. Fields has scored eight times, while Hurts leads NFL quarterbacks with 10. Hurts and Fields have similar playing styles. The Eagles are a perfect example of a franchise surrounding its young, mobile quarterback with the right weapons. In many ways, Philadelphia is an example for a team like the Bears to follow.

Hurts is thriving behind a rock-solid offensive line and an impressive rushing attack. The Eagles took big swings at receiver with a first-round pick (DeVonta Smith) and via a draft-night trade (A.J. Brown). Both have paid off. Hurts has thrown for 3,157 yards with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions.

The Bears aren’t quite there yet with their weapons, but watching Hurts and Fields square off should be a joy.

2. The trenches

This game will be won or lost up front.

The Bears’ offensive line could have a tough time with the Eagles’ defensive front. The Eagles boast the league’s second-best sack rate at 11.26% of opponents’ passing attempts. They will test the Bears’ offensive line.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said second-year tackle Alex Leatherwood would continue to rotate in with starting right tackle Riley Reiff. The Eagles should challenge Leatherwood, Reiff and left tackle Braxton Jones.

Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was a defensive backs coach with the Colts while Eberflus was the defensive coordinator.

“[Gannon] has done a really good job,” Eberflus said. “Tremendous coach. Tireless worker. Does a good job of mixing things up.”

On the flip side, the Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in football, while the Bears have one of the worst pass rushes. Eagles center Jason Kelce helps run that offense as much as the quarterback.

3. Run-heavy attacks

The Bears are running away from everybody. Their 189.2 rushing yards per game are far and away the best in the NFL. But if not for the Bears, the Eagles would be the best rushing team in the league. Philadelphia’s 162.2 rushing yards per game are tied with Baltimore for the second-most in the league.

Eagles running back Miles Sanders already is over 1,000 rushing yards on the season. Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott are quality change-of-pace backs behind Sanders. Hurts has 686 rushing yards on the season.

Both teams like to keep the ball on the ground. Look for the Bears to lean heavily on Fields and running back David Montgomery.

4. Fields’ next milestone

Fields is 95 rushing yards shy of becoming the third quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Only Michael Vick (2006) and Lamar Jackson (2019 and 2020) have done it. Fields is 301 yards shy of Jackson’s 2019 QB rushing record of 1,206 yards. At the pace Fields has been running, and with four games remaining, that is entirely attainable.

“I really wasn’t even this good of a rusher in college,” Fields said this week. “I didn’t run this much in college. This rushing thing just kind of picked up this year. Yeah, but it’s definitely awesome. It’s an honor for sure.”

Fields’ career high at Ohio State was 484 rushing yards in 2019. He did score 10 rushing touchdowns that season, however.

Needing 95 yards to reach 1,000, Fields could hit that mark Sunday. He has topped 100 rushing yards twice this season.

[ Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields returns to practice Thursday ]

5. Close connections

There are plenty of connections between the Bears and Eagles, starting with the head coaches. Eberflus and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni became close during their three years working together in Indianapolis. Eberflus was the Colts’ defensive coordinator, while Sirianni was the offensive coordinator from 2018-20.

Their families lived in the same Indiana neighborhood during the three years that they worked together. Sirianni left Indy for the Eagles job in 2021. Eberflus stayed on board for one more season before landing the Bears job.

Meanwhile, Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham – the No. 2 behind GM Ryan Poles – worked in the Eagles’ front office for the previous five seasons. He was the director of player personnel in 2021 and helped assemble this current Eagles team.