Philadelphia Eagles: Wild Card Round preview against Chicago Bears
By Jake Starr
Eagles linebackers vs. Bears running backs
The Bears have two versatile running backs in Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. Both of them combined for over 1,400 yards rushing, but the area Chicago has shown strength in is their running backs receiving abilities, primarily Cohen.
Cohen caught 71 passes for 725 yards and five touchdowns this season, becoming one of Trubisky’s favorite targets. The Eagles linebackers, whether it’s Nigel Bradham, Jordan Hicks, or whoever else may cover Cohen, must be aware of his big play ability.
It also would not be surprising to see the Eagles drop Malcolm Jenkins down to cover Cohen or to see the Eagles match corners up on Cohen. He is that big of a threat in the passing game and must be treated as such by the Eagles secondary.
Eagles defensive line vs. Bears offensive line
The old saying goes that games are won in the trenches, and that will be especially true in this game. Teams that win in the postseason have strong running games, strong defense, and both of those start by winning at the line of scrimmage.
Fletcher Cox, Michael Bennett, Brandon Graham, Tim Jernigan, and Chris Long headline a strong Eagles defensive front. They will match up against a strong Chicago offensive front that is led by Kyle Long, Bobby Massie, and Cody Whitehair. This will be a huge matchup in this game.
If Chicago is able to run the ball, then it could be a long day for the Eagles’ defense. The Eagles front needs to slow down the Bears run game and force Trubisky to beat them. If the Eagles can force Trubisky to drop back close to 35 times, then they can win some battles up front and get pressure on the Bears quarterback.