Philadelphia Eagles: Wild Card Round preview against Chicago Bears
By Jake Starr
Khalil Mack vs. Eagles tackles
The Eagles’ offensive line has seen their share of tough tests over the past handful of weeks. They had Aaron Donald, JJ Watt, and Jadeveon Clowney over the last three weeks. The offensive line deserves a ton of credit for how they shut down some of the top pass rushers in the league.
On Sunday, the Eagles are going to square off against arguably the best pass rusher in the league. The Bears traded for Khalil Mack prior to the season, and he is a big reason why Chicago’s defense is one of the best in the league after registering 12.5 sacks in his first season with the team.
Lane Johnson and Jason Peters are going to have their hands full with Mack and their ability to slow him down will dictate how the Eagles do on offense. If Mack is able to get to Foles and slow down the Eagles run game, then it could be a long day for the Eagles’ offense.
Eagles receivers vs. Chicago’s secondary
This is one of those matchups that could be strength against strength. The Eagles have four really strong pass catchers that Foles has shown the ability to spread the ball to. Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Golden Tate, and Zach Ertz highlight a strong crop of Eagles’ pass catchers.
They will go against a Chicago secondary that has shown to be one of their top strengths. Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara have combined for 10 interceptions on the outside, while Eddie Jackson and Adrian Amos have combined for eight at safety.
Foles and the Eagles receivers will look to move the ball and make plays against the Bears’ ball-hawking secondary. The Eagles receivers ability to get open and make plays will be a huge factor in whether the Eagles win this game on Sunday.