After winning the season opener last week against the Cleveland Browns, the Philadelphia Eagles will aim to move to 2-0 on the year when they face off against Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears tonight at Soldier Field.
Here are 5 keys to watch for when the teams take the field on Monday Night Football:
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1. Encore, Carson?
In his NFL debut, rookie quarterback Carson Wentz put on a performance that made it seem like he wasn't playing in his first career game. He completed 22 of 37 passes, throwing for 278 yards and 2 TDs, including a near-perfect first drive. Monday night, however, will be a little different. This will be Wentz's first primetime game, as well as the first time he'll be on the road instead of playing in front of his own fans. After receiving national attention for his week one performance, keep an eye on how the rookie responds against a Bears defense that will want to put him under constant pressure.
2. Alshon Jeffery vs Eagles CBs
For tonight's contest, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will be tasked with designing a game plan to shut down Bears Pro Bowl wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. It will be easier said than done, though, as the Eagles will be without cornerback Leodis McKelvin, leaving Ron Brooks and rookie Jalen Mills to deal with the 6-foot-3, 218 pound receiver. In the loss against the Houston Texans, Jeffery had four catches for 105 yards, so Brooks/Mills must be on top of their game, or else the Cutler-to-Jeffery connection will have a nice night.
3. Eagles D-Line vs Bears O-Line
Versus the Browns, the Eagles were able to record three sacks while the Bears allowed five against the Texans defense. The defensive line, especially defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, could be in for a big night if they are able to get consistent pressure on Cutler and prevent him from finding any open receivers. One spot where Schwartz may attack from all night should be the outside, as the Chicago offensive tackle duo of Charles Leno and Bobby Massie is one of the weakest points in the Bears offense. Per ProFootballFocus, 66 tackles were graded so far this year, with Massie ranked 66th and Leno 58th. Oh, and Chicago rookie center Cody Whitehair, who had never played center before last week's opener, gets the pleasure of going up against Cox.
4. Jump out to a lead
Last week the Eagles went up 10-0 early in the second quarter, allowing Wentz to get comfortable and not have to worry about making a comeback in his debut. It's obvious, but playing with a lead at home instead of trying to come from behind on the road are two completely different scenarios, with Wentz not having to deal with the latter in week one. If the Bears get out to a lead, all eyes will be on him to see if he is capable of leading the team in an unfamiliar situation.
5. Steady mix of pass/run plays
One of the best aspects of the Eagles' victory a week ago was the execution of the game plan created by head coach Doug Pederson in his first game as primary play caller. Pederson called a nice balance of passing and running plays to keep the pressure off of Wentz, and must duplicate that again this week against a Bears defense that allowed 23 points and 344 yards to Houston. If the Eagles can get the run game going, that should open chances up to air it out and put points on the board.
PREDICTION:
Eagles will move to 2-0, winning 28-24 behind a big game from Ryan Mathews and another solid performance from the defense.
Notes:
- Last time these two teams met was in 2013, when the Eagles destroyed the Bears 54-11 at the Linc.
- Tight end Zach Ertz is out after suffering a displaced rib in week one.
- Tonight is a game of experience vs youth. For Chicago, John Fox will be coaching his 226th game while Jay Cutler is in his 11th season. On the other end, Pederson will be coaching just his second game, and Wentz will be playing his second game as well.
- Around the division, the New York Giants became 2-0 after beating the Saints 16-13, while the Dallas Cowboys are 1-1 after defeating the Washington Redskins 27-23, making the Redskins 0-2 to start the year.
