WinView Games Playbook: Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears
Published: Jan 06, 2019
Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears -6.5
Over/Under 41.5
The Eagles pass rush ranks fourth in pass rush win rate this season, per ESPN. The Bears, on the other hand, rank first in the NFL in pass block win rate.- The Eagles were the only team to have four players get 40+ quarterback pressures this season (Michael Bennett , Fletcher Cox , Chris Long and Brandon Graham ).
- The Eagles won five of their last six games to sneak into the last Wild Card spot in the NFC.
- Nick Foles is 6-0 while filling in for Carson Wentz in must-win games over the last two seasons.
- Foles tied an NFL record in Week 17 by completing 25 consecutive passes before leaving the game with a chest injury.
- Foles completed passes to eight different players in that game, including three running backs and two tight ends.
- This is Alshon Jeffrey’s first game in Chicago since the Bears unceremoniously let him go via free agency.
- This is also Trey Burton ’s first game against his former team.
- Malcolm Jenkins has been the only constant in the Eagles’ secondary. While the other three starters from Week 1 are all on injured reserve, Jenkins has played every defensive snap this season in addition to 136 snaps on special teams.
- Philadelphia’s secondary has played much better down the stretch, which is one of the reasons the Eagles were able to make their playoff run.
- In his last three games, Mitchell Trubisky has completed 63 of 83 passes for 644 yards and three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
- The Eagles are using a running back by committee of late. Last Week, undrafted rookie Josh Adams had 11 carries for 50 yards, while Wendell Smallwood had 12 carries for 53 yards and Darren Sproles carried seven times for 24 yards.
- The Bears went 7-1 at home this season, while the Eagles went 4-4 on the road.
- The Bears defense led the NFL in points allowed per game and rushing yards allowed per game. They were third in the NFL in yards allowed per game and seventh in passing yards allowed per game.
- The Bears were third in the NFL in sacks behind only Kansas City and Pittsburgh. The Bears led the NFL with 27 interceptions, six more than any other team. Their 36 takeaways were five more than any other team.
Pre-Game Props
- The last non-kneeling, offensive play of the 1st Quarter is a passing play (We'll leave this open until the 2:00 mark) (3.0x yes/2.0x no)
YES. Philadelphia has run the ball more since Nick Foles took over for Carson Wentz , but even so, they finished the season with 201 more passing attempts than rushing attempts. The Bears passed more than they ran as well, though the margin was much closer. Even so, Yes is the obvious choice.
- A player from either team records 4 or more receptions in the 1st Quarter 4.6/1.8
- I just think both of these teams spread the ball around too much for one player to have four receptions in the first quarter. Zach Ertz and Alshon Jeffery would be the most likely candidates, but even that is unlikely against the Bears defense.
- PHI outscores CHI in the 1st Quarter 3.5/2.0
- The Bears have been awfully good in the first quarter this season, and there is a reason they are favored in this game.
- The first offensive play of the 1st Quarter is a rushing play that gains 4 or more yards( 4.0x yes/1.7x no)
NO. The Bears have the best rushing defense in the NFL. If Philadelphia starts with the ball, I’m definitely saying no. I won’t feel as good about this call if the Bears are on offense first, but it seems likely they will begin with some sort of easy pass to get Trubisky’s feet wet in his first playoff start.
- At least 2 different PHI players record a reception on the PHI opening drive (2.4x yes/2.9x no)
YES. This is awfully close. I feel like the mostly likely outcome of the opening drive is for Philadelphia to go three-and-out, but even if they do, they could easily complete passes to two different receivers. Foles likes to spread the ball around, and he has plenty of different options to choose from. I’m guessing at least Zach Ertz and one of the running backs catches a pass in the opening drive, and I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Alshon Jeffery get off to a hot start against his former team.
- CHI scores a TD on their opening drive (4.5x yes/1.5x no)
YES. The Bears offense has been great on opening drives, when the Bears can script their plays and the defense hasn’t had a chance to adjust to Matt Nagy’s gameplan. I think this is absolutely a risk worth taking considering the payoff.
Player News
Panthers released TE Jordan Matthews.
Matthews converted to tight end a few years ago and hasn’t made much noise at the position. The change has, however, likely kept him in the league for a few more seasons. He appeared in four games with the Panthers last year but didn’t record any stats on offense. The Panthers also released or waived WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, and TE Colin Granger.
Dolphins released LS Blake Ferguson.
The team also waived CB Ryan Cooper Jr., DT Neil Farrell and OL Chasen Hines. Ferguson has been the team’s long snapper for five seasons and earned a three-year contract extension just before the 2023 season. He should be able to find work snapping footballs farther than the average snap elsewhere in the league.
DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman believes rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa “could make his earliest impact on special teams.”
It’s not much of a surprise, as most rookies cut their teeth with special teams duties. Twentyman mentioned return duties as a possibility, though the former Razorback never returned kicks or punts in college. At 6'4/212 with 4.43 wheels, TeSlaa is an explosive athlete who never translated his physical traits to on-field production at Arkansas. The Lions clearly saw potential for him to do so in the pros and traded two future third-round picks to move up to No. 70 overall for him. It’s going to be a slow burn for TeSlaa in the pros, making him a dynasty-only fantasy option.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.