Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams and Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts
Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams and Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts
If the Philadelphia Eagles have the ball on third-and-short or fourth-and-1, odds are head coach Nick Sirianni is leaving his offense on the field.
It doesn’t matter if it’s deep in their own territory; it’s a risk he’s willing to take. After all, the Eagles rank seventh in the league in fourth down pick-ups, converting 64.7 percent of the time. That number jumps up to 75 percent when on their home turf. The Tush Push itself successfully moves the chains more than 90 percent.
“Look, we do have a plan in place,” Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said Tuesday, “and we feel like it’s a good, solid plan in terms of not only trying to stop that play, but all the plays that come off of it, and that’s what makes it even more difficult to stop.”
Allen’s defense got two looks at the play against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday. On the first attempt, a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter, fullback Connor Heyward took a direct snap and was stuffed by an overwhelming push from the Bears’ defensive front led by defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. On the second attempt, another fourth-and-1 on the Steelers’ next drive, Heyward handed the ball to running back Kenneth Gainwell, who took an end-around 55 yards to the Bears’ 1-yard line. Gainwell was pushed out of bounds by safety Kevin Byard.
Sunday’s test against the team that has implemented the controversial play so well into the NFL will be on another level.
“I know there’s a lot of commentary about the tush push, I think the way [Allen] preaches it is really good,” Byard said Tuesday. “You see a lot of teams defending it by jumping over the pile. That never works. He kind of looks at it like a rugby play where the guys behind, if you’re in man-to-man and your man is behind a guy on offense pushing, then you push your guy, you push the defensive line. I think we did a really good job of stopping it. The other part of it is just defending and understanding what the plays come off of it. [The Steelers] were able to get to the edges and we were kind of really bunched up in there. I think this time around, we will have a little more discipline on the edges. I think we did a good job actually defending the actual Tush Push play. But obviously, Philly is the best at doing it. So we will see how we do on Friday.”
That brings us to our predictions for Week 13 …
Adam Jahns
2025 record: 9-2
This feels like the week where the Bears’ injuries finally catch up with them, particularly at linebacker against Eagles superstar Saquon Barkley. The Eagles come off as a reeling team but they’re still 8-3. They’re also looking to bounce back after an awful loss to the Dallas Cowboys, their division rivals. All that said, it should still be a good game. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Bears have a chance to win it again in the end. The Ben Johnson-Vic Fangio matchup will be fun to watch.
Eagles 26, Bears 23
Adam Hoge
2025 record: 9-2
The Eagles might have a better roster on paper, but this is an emotional game and these two teams are trending in opposite directions. Whatever belief the Bears have built up is exactly what the Eagles seem to lack right now. It won’t be easy, but my gut says the Bears pull out another win and gain more respect nationally.
Bears 23, Eagles 20
Mark Carman
2025 record: 8-3
Major step up in class on the road on a short week with a still missing linebacker crew. I wonder how well Ozzy Trapilo will hold up against the Eagles’ front. The hill seems too steep.
Eagles 27, Bears 17
Greg Braggs Jr.
2025 record: 8-3
So ends my streak of picking the Bears to win in every game this season. It’s been a fun run. While I think this is an intriguing spot for the Bears to play the 8-3 defending champion Eagles on a short week, with some trouble in paradise brewing in Philly. I just have a hard time seeing the vision on the Bears can win a 2nd game in a row without their entire LB core out.
Saquon Barkley hasn’t had the year he had last year, but my guess is he has a big one on Friday. The Bears have also had trouble with mobile QBs (Daniels, Huntley, Dart). I could see Jalen Hurts having a big game with his legs. Combine that with Vic Fangio’s schemes vs Caleb Williams and the offense. I could see this being a humbling game but also a good measurement stick of where this team is at.
All that being said, if the Bears win, you can mark them officially as a team of destiny.
Eagles 27, Bears 20
Corey Wootton
2025 record: 7-4
TBD
Jerry Azumah
2025 record: 7-4
TBD
Patrick Norton
2025 record: 6-5
I find myself irritated each time I watch Jalen Hurts play quarterback for an extended period of time. Talented? Absolutely. But his arm talent isn’t elite, and if the Eagles have the ball in the red zone, it feels like he calls his own number more often than not.
The Eagles are supposedly dealing with some internal strife and strain around offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Still, my take on the situation is one I’ve been consistent on for a while: a decent, experienced QB should have no issue overcoming dysfunction with an OC.
There will be opportunities for the Bears’ defense, albeit shorthanded still, to force Hurts into some critical errors. If the Bears can, in fact, win the turnover battle, I trust Ben Johnson’s offense to do just enough to eke out another heart-stopping victory.
Bears 20, Eagles 17
Lance Briggs
2025 record: 6-5
TBD
Stephen Nicholas
2025 record: 5-6
Can it still be a statement game even if the Bears lose? I think it can. If the Bears can remain competitive with the defending Super Bowl champs with an ‘island of misfit toys’ stable of linebackers, it will be enough for me to say that the Bears can compete with anybody when healthy. I don’t think the Bears pull this one off, but I think they can keep it close and cover the spread.
I like Caleb to escape the pocket and go over his rush yards prop set at 20.5 yards at the time of this writing. I also like D’Andre Swift to go over 13.5 receiving yards. That number seems criminally low in a revenge game narrative for the former Eagle against a team giving up the 4th-most receiving yards per game against opposing running backs (41.5 rec ypg).