What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 3 vs. the Bears

The Eagles are 2-0, and not for the reasons one might have anticipated going into the season.

The offense under Sean Mannion is supposed to be rooted in a sound running game. It hasn’t clicked yet, as evidenced by the Eagles’ minus-.09 expected points added per rush, which ranks in the middle of the pack as of Monday afternoon, according to Next Gen Stats.

The defense under Vic Fangio in his third year as coordinator is supposed to set the floor for the team’s overall success this season. But through two weeks, the Eagles defense ranks below the median in EPA per play allowed at +.01.

» READ MORE: The Eagles asked a lot of their offensive line this week, but they vow to improve after win over Titans

There’s plenty of time for the Eagles to improve in both facets. Still, arguably the biggest reason for the team’s 2-0 record through two weeks rests on the arm of Jalen Hurts and the plays he has pulled off in the passing game.

Despite tossing two interceptions in the 24-20 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Hurts orchestrated his eighth fourth-quarter comeback since 2023, which is tied for the second-most in the NFL in that span, according to Next Gen Stats. For the last two weeks, Hurts has showcased his clutch gene and his ability to generate explosive passing and rushing plays, two encouraging traits from the franchise quarterback as the Eagles continue to acclimate to their new offense.

Here’s what we know (and what we don’t) about the Eagles going into their Week 3 matchup against the 1-1 Chicago Bears:

The Eagles entered the season with high expectations on defense, given their talented personnel at every level and their coordinator continuity. But so far, the overall group is off to a relatively quiet start.

To their credit, they have held their first two opponents, the Titans and the Washington Commanders, to less than 300 yards of offense, a feat only six other teams have accomplished heading into Monday night.

But Nick Sirianni typically harps on winning the turnover battle. While the offense has given the ball away twice (on Hurts’ pair of interceptions against the Titans), the defense has yet to force a takeaway. Jalen Carter and Jihaad Campbell have forced fumbles, but the opposition ultimately recovered.

Through two weeks, the Eagles are one of three teams that have not generated a takeaway, along with the Commanders and the Houston Texans. Last year, the Eagles finished tied for 10th in takeaways with 21.

The Eagles are also coming off of a poor tackling day in their win over the Titans. The team missed 12 tackles, according to Pro Football Focus, led by starting safety tandem Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps with three apiece. That issue was on display during the Titans’ go-ahead field-goal drive late in the fourth quarter, especially on running back Tyjae Spears’ 27-yard carry when he forced missed tackles from Moro Ojomo and Epps.

» READ MORE: The Eagles need Jalen Hurts 2.0 now more than ever. His evolution and clutch gene are carrying a rough offense.

The pass rush is a work in progress. According to Next Gen Stats, the Eagles are tied with the Titans for the highest average time to pressure (3.12 seconds) in the NFL.

Two of these three issues — the lack of takeaways and the poor tackling — could be anomalies. The Eagles have fared well in turnover differential over the last couple seasons and they have been sound tacklers on the whole under Fangio.

The lack of a prolific pass rush was an issue last year, too, leading to the acquisition of Jaelan Phillips at the trade deadline. Their output could improve when Jonathan Greenard, who has been ramping up in practice after sitting out of training camp with a pectoral injury, returns to action. Regardless, the Eagles have much to improve defensively going into Week 3.

Could the Eagles defense catch a break against the Bears?

Third-year starting quarterback Caleb Williams went down with a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Bears head coach Ben Johnson said Monday on Chicago radio station ESPN1000 that Williams is considered “week to week.”

Last season, Williams and the Bears handed the Eagles a 24-15 loss, gashing them on the ground thanks to a combined 255 rushing yards from running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Williams was less than stellar in that game, going 17 of 36 (47.2%) for 154 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Still, the windy elements played a role in the passing game that day, and Williams was otherwise solid in his first year under Johnson.

If Williams can’t go on Monday night, the Bears would turn to backup Tyson Bagent to start at quarterback. Bagent is a 2023 undrafted free agent out of Division II Shepherd University who has started four games — none since 2023 — in his four seasons in Chicago.

He entered Sunday’s game down 6-3 against a talented Vikings defense with 7 minutes, 15 seconds left in the game. Bagent had the opportunity to win it with a minute remaining, but he was sacked on the final play at the Vikings’ 12 on fourth down. While the Bears might feel confident in him if called upon next week — as evidenced by their decision to extend him before the 2025 season — he’s no Williams.

If Williams can play against the Eagles, how would his hamstring injury limit him, especially on the ground?

Williams is adept at extending plays with his legs and scrambling, traits he showcased in the loss to the Vikings, as he picked up 27 scramble yards, according to PFF. He threw an interception, though, while fleeing the pocket prematurely in the first quarter on Sunday.

With Dallas Goedert out of commission for the next few weeks due to a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his knee sustained against the Titans, the Eagles are signing a familiar face in Zach Ertz to infuse pass-catching prowess into the tight ends room.

Ertz, who turns 36 in November, is set to join the practice squad. But he could be a candidate to be elevated to the game day roster against the Bears, as he was cleared for football activity in July, seven months after he tore his ACL in Week 14 last season as a member of the Commanders.

The Eagles could use his receiving ability, stat. Aside from the injured Goedert, they currently have two tight ends on the active roster in Johnny Mundt and EJ Jenkins. Mundt, 31, has been heralded for his blocking ability throughout his 10-year NFL career. Jenkins has grown as a blocker, as Howie Roseman acknowledged after training camp, and while he converted from wide receiver to tight end in the NFL, he has just one reception for 7 yards in his pro career.

With the addition of Ertz, the Eagles could take advantage of a Bears defense that has been challenged to cover tight ends through two games.

» READ MORE: Source: Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert will miss time with a knee injury

The Bears defense has conceded 115 yards on 10 receptions to tight ends, the 10th-most yardage in the league. The Vikings’ T.J. Hockenson had the most success of any tight end to face the Bears on Sunday, totaling 29 yards on three receptions.

Hockenson’s best play came on a second-and-10 under-center play-action fake in the fourth quarter in which he blocked at the line of scrimmage to sell the run. He then made the Bears defenders pay for biting on the fake by leaking downfield and hauling in a 19-yard pass from Carson Wentz.

Ertz might not be known for his blocking ability, but he has made similar plays on play-action passes, including his 20-yard touchdown reception last season against the Green Bay Packers.

He stands to make the biggest impact in the red zone, as all 16 of his touchdown catches over his last four seasons since he departed Philadelphia in 2021 have come inside the 20.

Listen to the latest episode

Landon Dickerson has made a career of fighting through injuries and pain, last season being the latest instance. But after the left guard looked like a shell of himself Week 1 vs. Washington, the Eagles decided to shut him down — at least for now. With Dickerson landing on injured reserve, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane explains why, this time around, he and the Eagles are taking the cautious route. Jeff also shares what he's heard about how the Eagles might fill Dickerson's void on the offensive line, and takes listener questions in this week's mailbag segment. Listen here.

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