CHICAGO − Jalen Hurts easily played his worst first half of the season, and the Eagles struggled offensively.
Yet they led 10-6 at halftime after Hurts threw 2 interceptions, the most he has thrown in any game this season, and one less than his total through the first 13 games.
But Hurts’ 22-yard TD run with 43 seconds left in the first half, when he ran untouched on a QB draw, put the Eagles in front.
Still, he was just 8-for-16 for 139 yards and the 2 INTs in the first half. Three of those completions, for 104 yards, went to DeVonta Smith, including a 38-yard pass on that scoring drive.
Maybe the cold weather had something to do with it. The game time temperature was 18 degrees with 16 mph winds, making it feel like 4 degrees.
The Eagles had a chance to take the lead mainly because of the strong defensive play of Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat, who each had 2 of the Eagles’ 5 sacks. Reddick, however, just missed two more.
One of those misses came one play after he sacked quarterback Justin Fields, forcing a fumble that the Bears recovered. On the next play, Reddick nearly had Fields wrapped up, but Fields escaped, broke a few tackles and gained 39 yards down to the Eagles’ 9.
David Montgomery ran the ball in on the next play, but the extra point missed.
Reddick has 11 sacks on the season, Sweat has 9.5, setting a career high, and Javon Hargrave also had a sack. Still, Fields who had 81 yards throwing and 81 yards rushing in the first half. That brought Fields to within 14 rushing yards of 1,000 for the season.
Hurts, meanwhile, struggled, other than on throws to Smith. He was intercepted by Kyle Gordon at the Bears’ 17 on the Eagles’ first drive. He threw another INT trying to hit Quez Watkins over the middle near midfield by DeAndre Houston Carson, who returned the ball to the Eagles’ 25.
But Reddick’s sack on 3rd-and-16 from the Eagles’ 20 forced a Bears’ punt. That set up the Eagles’ final drive of the first half. This time, Hurts took advantage.
Eagles’ sack party
The Eagles continued to close in on franchise sack records. They sacked Fields 6 times into the third quarter − two each by Reddick, Sweat and Hargrave. Hargrave has 10 sacks on the season, joining Reddick (12) in double digits.
As a team, the Eagles have 55 sacks on the season, 7 short of the franchise record set in 1989. It’s also the first time the Eagles have had 3 straight games of 5 or more since 1997.
Where’s Miles Sanders?
Miles Sanders came into the game fifth in the NFL with 1,068 yards. Yet he didn’t touch the ball in the first half until 6 minutes remained.
Sanders had 3 carries for 12 yards in the first half. Hurts led the Eagles with 7 carries for 40 yards.
Why Eagles kept Goedert on IR
Two weeks ago, Dallas Goedert said he fully expected to be activated off injured reserve this Sunday, the first game in which he’s eligible to play.
Yet the Eagles let the Saturday deadline pass without activating Goedert for their game against the Chicago Bears, even though Goedert returned to practice last week. It’s quite possible the Eagles gave Goedert an extra week to rebuild strength in his shoulder so that he will be ready for the Eagles’ showdown next Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys.
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There will be much more at stake next week anyway. The Eagles have already clinched a playoff berth. But if the Eagles beat the Bears on Sunday, or if the Cowboys lose to Jacksonville, then the Eagles can clinch the NFC East and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a win next Saturday against the Cowboys.
Goedert didn’t necessarily believe in that strategy.
“Even though the Bears only got 3 wins, they’ve lost a lot of close games,” he said. “They’re not a bad team, that’s for sure … I definitely want to play in Dallas.”
The game begins at 1 p.m., and will be broadcast on FOX with Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver providing coverage.
Poor start for Eagles, Hurts
The Eagles played one of their ugliest first quarters of the season Sunday, but at least they weren’t losing because the defense did a good job containing Justin Fields.
The Eagles had the ball for only 2 minutes, 10 seconds in the quarter. Jalen Hurts went 1-for-5 passing for 21 yards with an interception. The completion was a pretty pass as Hurts was rolling to his left and threw it to the sideline where Smith dove and caught it while keeping his feet inbounds.
But on the next play, Hurts rolled to his right and was intercepted at the Bears’ 17.
The Eagles sacked Fields twice in the first quarter. The first, by Josh Sweat, gave him 8.5 for the season, a career high. In all, the Eagles have 51 sacks on the season, most in the NFL.
Eagles’ inactives, Bears missing 3 top WRs
The Eagles didn’t have safety Reed Blankenship, who had started the previous two games in place of Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who’s on injured reserve. Blankenship suffered a knee injury last week against the Giants.
But the Eagles didn’t replace Blankenship on the roster as safety Anthony Harris, signed on Thursday to the practice squad, did not get the practice squad elevation. K’Von Wallace started in Blankenship’s place, but Avonte Maddox played some safety as well.
The Eagles’ other inactives were QB Ian Book, RB Trey Sermon, DE Janarius Robinson, G Josh Sills and G Sua Opeta.
The Bears, meanwhile, won’t have two of their wide receivers in Chase Claypool and N’Keal Harry. The Bears traded for Claypool before the deadline in October. He has 12 receptions in 5 games. Harry has 5 catches this season.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
