The Eagles went into their Black Friday matchup with the Bears already facing serious questions about their offense - both on the ground and through the air. But after a bruising 24-15 loss in Chicago, they may have a new concern to add to the list: a run defense that suddenly looks vulnerable at the worst possible time.
Let’s not sugarcoat it - the Bears gashed them. Chicago piled up 281 rushing yards, the third-most ever allowed by the Eagles since the AFL-NFL merger.
It wasn’t just one explosive run or a fluke play here or there; this was a sustained, physical beatdown. The Bears averaged 6.0 yards per carry on 47 attempts, the highest average against Philly on 45 or more carries since 1970.
That’s not just a bad night - that’s a red flag.
And it wasn’t a one-off. Over their last two games - including a 24-21 loss to the Cowboys the week before - the Eagles have allowed 406 rushing yards on 78 carries.
That’s 5.2 yards per carry, and it’s coming from two teams that didn’t exactly sneak up on them. The Cowboys, in particular, have now run for 244 yards on 53 carries across their two NFC East matchups with Philly this season, averaging 4.6 yards per tote.
On Sunday, Dallas ran it 31 times and controlled the tempo when it mattered most.
It’s not just the yardage totals that are troubling - it’s the sheer volume of attempts. The Giants ran it 39 times for 172 yards earlier this season.
That makes three games where the Eagles have faced 30 or more rushing attempts - the most since 2020, a season that ended with a 4-11-1 record and Doug Pederson out the door. Teams don’t keep pounding the rock unless it’s working.
Right now, it’s working.
So what’s going on? Fatigue could be a factor.
The Eagles’ defense has played 69 more snaps through 12 games this year than it had at this point in 2024 - that’s roughly six extra snaps per game. Combine that with an offense that’s struggling to sustain drives - a high three-and-out rate and poor third-down conversion percentage - and you’ve got a defense that’s spending too much time on the field.
That extra workload is showing up in the trenches. The Eagles’ top three interior defensive linemen are logging more snaps than they did last year, with two seeing a significant uptick. That’s a lot to ask from big men who are expected to anchor the middle of the defense week after week.
Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, the two foundational pieces of Philly’s interior line, are getting moved off the ball more than we’ve seen in the past. Against both the Cowboys and Bears, double-teams and wham blocks were effective in neutralizing them, opening up running lanes and keeping linebackers from flowing freely to the ball. These aren’t just schematic breakdowns - they’re physical losses at the point of attack.
Depth is also a concern. Moro Ojomo brings quickness and length, but he’s more of a pass-rush specialist than a run-stuffer.
Byron Young, who’s taken on a larger role this year, played 44% of the snaps against Chicago - his second-highest total of the season - but he hasn’t matched the production Ojomo gave them in a similar role last year. That drop-off matters in a rotation that’s built on keeping guys fresh and disruptive.
Now the Eagles are staring down a Monday night showdown with the Chargers - a team that’s quietly reestablished its run game identity. Despite losing both starting offensive tackles and being without first-round running back Omarion Hampton since Week 5, the Chargers have leaned back into the ground game with growing success.
Over their last five games, the Chargers have logged 30 or more rushing attempts in four of them, and 40+ in two. They rank top-three in the league in rushing attempts during that span and eighth in total rushing yards.
On Sunday, they ran for 192 yards on 40 carries in a 31-14 win over the Raiders, with Kimani Vidal leading the way with 126 yards. That’s a team that’s not just committed to the run - they’re thriving with it.
And they might be getting even stronger. Hampton, who’s been practicing and is reportedly close to returning, could be back in the lineup Monday night.
He was held out against the Raiders, but that may have been more about caution than health. Before his injury, he had already logged his first 100-yard game and is averaging 4.8 yards per carry - a top-10 clip if he had enough carries to qualify.
Complicating matters further for the Eagles: Justin Herbert’s status is up in the air. The Chargers’ quarterback underwent surgery on his non-throwing hand to repair a fracture, and while he says he expects to play, there’s a chance Trey Lance could be under center instead. If Herbert can’t go, expect the Chargers to double down on the run - both to protect Lance and to exploit a suddenly shaky Eagles front.
The blueprint is out there: run right at the heart of this defense. Stack double-teams on Davis and Carter, win the line of scrimmage, and force the Eagles’ linebackers to fight through traffic. Until Philly proves they can stop it, teams are going to keep testing that soft spot.
There is a sliver of hope - and it comes from recent history. Last season, the Eagles had a rough start against the run, surrendering 163 yards to the Packers in São Paulo and 152 to the Falcons the following week.
But from Week 3 through Week 12, they tightened up, holding every opponent under 100 rushing yards. Only one team averaged more than 4.2 yards per carry against them after Week 13.
So yes, it’s possible to turn things around. But the margin for error is shrinking fast.
Even if the run defense stiffens, the offense still has major questions to answer. And if both sides of the ball don’t start clicking soon, this promising season could slip away faster than expected.