Bird Watch: Balanced Offense Propels Eagles to 24-20 Victory over Bears

Last year, Chicago fans exited Soldier Field in a roar of excitement and happiness, for their Bears defeated the Eagles in a Week 4 regular season game by a score of 24-20. The same cannot be said about this season’s matchup between the teams, as the Eagles came out victorious, ironically by the final score of the 2008 contest–24-20. With a balanced offensive strategy and a good performance by the defense, the Birds were able to break their 2-game losing streak and keep themselves within the competitive division race in the NFC East. The game went back and forth, in terms of the scoring leader, but in the end, a 4th-quarter touchdown and a solid defensive stand was enough for the Eagles to capture the much-needed win. Although some may say the Eagles “bearly” won (anyone like the joke?), the victory counts, and is definitely accepted within the organization.

QB Donovan McNabb was proficient in the passing game, completing 23 of his 32 attempts, which included a pair of touchdowns. Meanwhile, rookie RB LeSean McCoy filled in as an excellent replacement for the injured Brian Westbrook, and the defensive unit, which underwent a few changes because of injuries to starters, played well for almost all of the game. There weren’t too many players banged up after the NFC showdown, but CB Asante Samuel sustained a strained muscle in his neck and his status for the team’s Week 12 meeting with the Redskins is currently unknown. Other than Samuel’s injury, the Eagles escaped Chicago with few major and disappointing announcements regarding players in a lot of pain.

The game, which began at 8:20 p.m. ET, tilted in favor of the Eagles early in the first quarter. On the Birds’ third play from scrimmage, backup QB Michael Vick ran the ball out of the Shotgun formation for a gain of 34 yards, and more importantly, the full support of his teammates and fans. Several rushing and passing plays followed the motivating scamper by Vick, and ultimately the Eagles settled with a field goal on the drive after being contained by the Bears in the red zone. As we’ve seen in previous weeks, the red zone of the field has haunted Philadelphia, and despite their stall again here, they were able to improve as the game went on. K David Akers knocked a 25-yard attempt through the uprights of the goal post and the Eagles took a 3-0 lead.

Not only did the offense begin on a good note, but the defense did as well. On the resulting series for the Bears, Chicago was held to 7 yards on 6 plays, and forced to punt. One ought to note the opening play of the drive which was a hand-off to RB Matt Forte…Jeremiah Trotter was lined up as the Middle Linebacker and made a spectacular tackle that kept Forte from gaining any type of yardage. This single tackle may not sound too amusing, but it certainly was during the game, considering Trotter has rarely seen playing time over the last few weeks, and surprisingly got the start and performed well against the Bears.

On the Eagles’ second offensive drive, Michael Vick once again took the field, and was granted a passing play. Despite the minimal gain on the play in which the speedy former Falcon completed his throw to TE Brent Celek, it was entertaining to see the athletic Quarterback active in the game and keeping Eagle fanatics aware that he is truly a useful offensive weapon. Donovan McNabb tossed a few more passes on the drive, but once the Eagles were able to move the ball within the 20-yard line of Chicago’s side, it appeared as if they were not going to be able to punch the ball into the endzone and continue to struggle in that area of the field. Backup RB Eldra Buckley failed to pick up any yards on a carry up the middle, but the Eagles then diminished their end-of-the-field woes with a 13-yard scoring pass from McNabb to WR Jason Avant, who last week led the team with 8 catches and 156 yards.

With a 10-0 lead, the Eagles’ defense played aggressively against the Bears on the next drive, keeping the first three plays under 5 yards. However, when a blitz was dialed, Chicago’s supposed franchise QB–Jay Cutler–quickly found an open receiver down field and converted for a first down. Shortly after this, Cutler almost had a touchdown pass when he heaved the ball deep down the right sideline to extremely fast WR Devin Hester, but the throw was too long and ruled incomplete. The drive concluded with K Robbie Gould booting a successful 45-yard field goal and narrowing the Eagles’ lead to 7 points.

As great as the Eagles’ offense started the contest, they fell just as fast as the second quarter went underway. The offensive line–after blocking very well throughout the entire first period–allowed a sack on McNabb that cost the team 10 yards, and also was penalized for jumping early prior to the play. The brief series resulted in a punt, and the Bears took advantage of the opportunity. Reserve runner Kahlil Bell opened the drive with an astounding 72-yard rush that brought the crowd at Soldier Field to their feet. Several passes and short runs later, the Bears found themselves right back in the game after Robbie Gould kicked his second field goal of the night, this time from 28 yards out.

Neither team was able to establish a rhythm offensively over the next few drives, and therefore neither was able to place any points on the scoreboard. Donovan McNabb was intercepted when his bullet pass intended for WR DeSean Jackson was snatched by Bears’ veteran defensive back Zackary Bowman, but Chicago dropped their turnover opportunity when they were held to a punt the following series. The Eagles gave the ball away again when DeSean Jackson this time made the catch, but was stripped of the ball by CB Charles Tillman and ended up losing the fumble. However, the Bears seemed yet again unable to capitalize off of their turnover, settling with a 28-yard field goal after a drive that lasted nearly 6 minutes and seemed deserving of 7 points, not 3.

The second half began with little excitement, as both squads booted the ball to each other via punts, but the Bears took their first lead of the game when Robbie Gould converted on his fourth field goal of the game, from 49 yards away. Even though the Eagles’ defense was playing solidly and keeping the high-potential Chicago offense under wraps, it appeared the team was letting the contest slip away after allowing 12 unanswered points and failing to regain the early momentum the offense held. That concept was thrown away several drives later, when McNabb aired a deep pass to his big-play receiver Jackson and gave the Eagles another lead. The play went for 48 yards, and gave the 2nd-year wideout his 7th touchdown of the season, a drastic improvement from all of last season in which the California product scored twice.

The Bears struck back when Jay Cutler completed a 15-yard TD pass to his backup TE Kellen Davis, and the Windy City warriors separated themselves further when Matt Forte recorded a reception in the endzone for a 2-point conversion. With the score now 3 points in favor of the Bears, it didn’t seem too promising once LeSean McCoy handed the ball right back to Chicago when he fumbled on a running play that otherwise would have been a significant gain. Attempting to add to their lead and solidify their late-game comeback, the Bears tried to give their kicker yet another shot at earning points, lining him up to kick a 48-yarder. To the dismay of the fans in Chicago, though, the kick was blocked by DT Antonio Dixon, and therefore kept the score within reach.

It turned out the block was very beneficial, for the Eagles reached the endzone on their next drive (off of a 10-yard run by McCoy) and gave their defense some leverage with the 4-point lead, which is obviously more than what a field goal will supply in a crucial situation. With the game on the line, the defensive unit produced for the Eagles, forcing Jay Cutler to miss on several throws and ultimately toss an interception to seal the game.

With their sixth win of the season, the Eagles now prepare to face the cellar dweller of their division in the Washington Redskins. This matchup will take place back home for the Eagles, in Lincoln Financial Field, and will be played on Sunday afternoon at approximately 1:00 p.m. ET. Further analysis and evaluation of today’s game will be released throughout the week, but for now, take a look at the Eagles’ statistical leaders from the matchup, some of their key players, a scoring summary of the contest, and a look at some interesting things that you may have missed while viewing the game:

Statistical Leaders

Passing: Donovan McNabb (QB): 23-32, 244 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Rushing: LeSean McCoy (RB): 20-99 yards, 1 TD

Receiving: DeSean Jackson (WR): 8-107 yards, 1 TD

Receiving (cont.): Jeremy Maclin (WR): 6-64 yards

Defensive: Quintin Mikell (SS): 6 tackles

Defensive (cont.): Will Witherspoon (OLB): 6 tackles

Kicking: David Akers (K): 1-1 FG, 3-3 extra point

Punting: Sav Rocca (P): 5-30.6 punt yard average

For a complete statistical breakdown of the game, click here.

Key Players

• RB LeSean McCoy: In place of the veteran Brian Westbrook, the freshman pro McCoy took to the Bears’ defense very well. The 21-year-old averaged 5 yards a carry, and finished the game with a total of 99. He also scored the winning touchdown, a 10-yard rush, and picked up on many blitzes that the Bears sent in on the Birds’ offensive front. Overall, he did a great job as a starter last night, and actually seems quite capable of carrying the rushing load for the team for the remainder of the year.
• WR DeSean Jackson: One might have thought that Jackson disappeared from the offense when he appeared to be uninvolved in the past few weeks’ “highlight plays”, but in reality, the 2nd-year target has been one of the most consistent and dangerous receivers on the roster. Last evening he hauled in 8 passes, and managed to eclipse 90 yards receiving for the fifth time this season, totaling 107. He also scored his fifth touchdown reception of the 2009 season, and as if that weren’t enough, Jackson also manned the team’s punt returner role, taking back a pair of kicks (one of which was returned for 53 yards).
• SS Quintin Mikell: Mikell has always been one of the quiet defensive leaders of the team, and once again had an arguably under-appreciated performance. With 6 tackles, the Safety also played man coverage on several occasions when starting CB Sheldon Brown rested on the sideline to keep his hamstring injury under as little pressure as possible. Mikell allowed few complete passes in areas he was responsible for in the secondary, and was overall one of the most consistent defenders on the field in last night’s game.

Did You Know…

• …that backup FS Macho Harris was frequently brought into the defense as part of the “3-Safety” formation? The defensive technique has been used in other instances this year, typically with the starting Safeties and reserve defensive back Quintin Demps, but because Demps was out with an ankle injury, Harris was thrust into the “center-field Safety” role. In this position, the highly-regarded rookie recorded 4 tackles and a pass deflection, and was somewhat of a key part of the defense’s success against the Bears.
• …that a rotation was established for the Middle Linebacker position during the game? Veteran player Jeremiah Trotter, signed earlier in the season and used only sparingly after a one-game stint as the starter, was dubbed the game’s official starter at the position, and finished with 4 tackles. He looked very motivated and determined to prove to the staff his worth on the team, but wasn’t the only member of the MLB position. Sophomore player Joe Mays saw a bunch of repetitions, starting OLB Will Witherspoon was moved to the middle in several formations, and 7th-year backup Tracy White was also brought onto the field for some action.
• …that FS Sean Jones was able to record the 15th interception of his career versus the Bears? His game-clinching pick keeps him among the league’s top Safeties in terms of most turnovers caused over the past few years. In addition to his interception–which was the first of the season and as an Eagle–Jones also got his hands on a pass for a deflection, and notched a total of 4 tackles.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter
	FG	D.Akers 25 yd. Field Goal (9-68, 4:06)
	TD	J.Avant 13 yd. pass from D.McNabb(D.Akers kick) (8-76, 4:44)
2nd Quarter
	FG	R.Gould 45 yd. Field Goal (8-30, 3:03)
	FG	R.Gould 28 yd. Field Goal (6-72, 2:03)
	FG	R.Gould 28 yd. Field Goal (13-57, 5:34)
3rd Quarter
	FG	R.Gould 49 yd. Field Goal (5-20, 1:35)
	TD	D.Jackson 48 yd. pass from D.McNabb (D.Akers kick) (2-64, 0:30)
	TD	K.Davis 15 yd. pass from J.Cutler(J.Cutler-M.Forte pass) (6-55, 3:01)
4th Quarter
	TD	L.McCoy 10 yd. run (D.Akers kick) (11-62, 5:30)

(picture source)