The Philadelphia Eagles are still wearing the crown as defending Super Bowl champions - but on Friday, they didn’t look the part.
In a nationally televised holiday matchup, the Eagles were outplayed and outmuscled by the Chicago Bears in a 24-15 loss that felt a lot worse than the scoreboard showed. The Bears didn’t just beat Philly - they ran through them, dominated the trenches, and made a statement in front of a primetime audience. And make no mistake: this one stings for a team that’s supposed to be built for January football.
NFL analyst Kyle Brandt summed it up best when he said it looked like the Bears were the ones defending a title. That’s not hyperbole - that’s what the tape shows. Chicago ran “through the teeth of that Howie Roseman war chest of defense,” as Brandt put it, and the Eagles had no answers.
Let’s talk about that defense, because that’s where the cracks showed up first and loudest.
The Run Defense Got Steamrolled
Philadelphia gave up a staggering 281 rushing yards - that’s not a typo. That’s six yards per carry.
At home. In a standalone game.
With the entire league watching. The Bears didn’t just run effectively - they ran confidently, repeatedly, and without resistance.
It wasn’t just one big run here or there. It was sustained dominance at the line of scrimmage, drive after drive.
This wasn’t about missed tackles or one or two blown assignments. This was a systemic breakdown - a front seven that got pushed around, a defensive line that couldn’t get off blocks, and linebackers who couldn’t fill the gaps fast enough. For a unit that’s been built with premium draft picks and high-profile acquisitions, that’s a gut punch.
And it’s not just about pride - it’s about playoff readiness. If you can’t stop the run in December, you’re not going to last long in January.
Still 8-4, But Slipping
Now, let’s be clear: the Eagles are still 8-4 and sitting atop the NFC East. That’s not nothing.
They’ve built themselves enough of a cushion that the division is still very much within reach. But this is about more than just the standings.
It’s about how you’re playing when it matters most - and right now, Philadelphia doesn’t look like a team ready to defend its title.
Over the past two weeks, the Eagles have looked vulnerable on both sides of the ball. The offense has lacked rhythm, the defense has been leaky, and the energy just hasn’t been there. The Bears game wasn’t a fluke - it was a red flag.
The Road Ahead
The good news? The schedule down the stretch gives Philly a chance to get right.
They’ll finish the regular season with games against the Chargers, Raiders, Commanders (twice), and Bills. On paper, those are all winnable.
But again, this isn’t just about stacking wins - it’s about looking like a team that can go toe-to-toe with the NFC’s best.
That means tightening up the run defense. That means getting more consistent production from the offense. That means playing like a team that knows what it takes to win in the postseason - because they’ve done it before.
The Eagles have five games to figure it out. The talent is there.
The experience is there. But if Friday was any indication, the urgency needs to be there, too.
Because if this team doesn’t clean things up fast, the road to a repeat is going to end a lot sooner than anyone in Philadelphia wants to believe.