Beating the Philadelphia Eagles is never easy. Not only do they have a loaded roster thanks to GM Howie Roseman, but they have also maintained a high-quality coaching staff. At the heart of it is defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Chicago Bears fans know him well. When he has the horses to work with, his defense is a nightmare to go against. Not much has changed this year as they rank 8th in points allowed. If Ben Johnson hopes to solve that puzzle, he'll need something up his sleeve that the Eagles aren't ready for.
Adam Hoge of CHGO believes the Bears' head coach has it. Best of all, it's a core part of Johnson's entire offensive structure.
This all sets up to be a game won in the trenches. The Bears’ revamped offensive line against the Eagles’ well-established defensive line. And while they probably won’t go 1-on-1 a lot, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (drafted No. 9 overall in 2023) vs. Bears right tackle Darnell Wright (drafted one spot behind Carter after the teams swapped picks) is something to watch. And if you’re looking for weaknesses in the Eagles’ defense, they struggle against two-tight-end looks and play action, two areas Johnson’s offense excels in. So if the Bears can get things going up front, the explosives through play-action might follow.
No coach in the NFL loves using play action more than Johnson. They are 3rd in the NFL in play-action passing attempts, racking up 815 yards. Philadelphia proved their struggles in their most recent loss to Dallas. Dak Prescott utilized play action several times in the game, going for 354 yards and two touchdowns. You can bet Johnson took extensive notes from that game.
Ben Johnson should be looking to target the Eagles' safeties.
They've been the weak link in coverage all season. Rookie Andrew Mukuba is out with an injury, while Sydney Brown hasn't been much better, allowing a 103.1 passer rating. The Cowboys had some success using tight end Jake Ferguson in their comeback last week. One can imagine Ben Johnson will be more than willing to feature Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. The best part is he can use them both as blockers and receivers. They never have to come off the field, which makes them much harder to defend.
Will it be enough? That is hard to tell. For play action to work, the Bears must commit to the run and get decent protection. The first part is easy. The second? That is more challenging against Philadelphia's talented front. This is one of those games where Johnson must bring his best because the Bears don't have the horse to slug it out with an opponent of this caliber.
