November 25, 2017
Earlier this season, back when the Eagles were 6-1 and preparing to face then-winless 49ers, our own Jimmy Kempski pointed out a strange stat about the Birds.
In their 10 previous games as double-digit favorites, the Eagles were just 5-5. And that's straight-up, not against the spread.
After taking care of business against San Francisco, they've now won three straight as double-digit favorites, but remain just 3-4 in their last seven such games. And against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Eagles are favored by 14 points, the biggest spread they've seen since 2011.
Coming home after a big road win over the Cowboys and preparing for a three-game road trip that will go a long way toward deciding where they'll be seeded in the postseason, the matchup against the 3-7 Bears should be a welcomed respite. Instead, the Birds will need to be careful that they don't hit cruise control and fall asleep behind the wheel.
After all, we've seen that happen before.
That being said, this Eagles team – the one led by Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz – isn't responsible for those losses (because they all came under Andy Reid).
Hopefully, for the sake of Eagles fans, the same will still be true on Monday morning.
TV: FOX | RADIO: 94.1 WIP
SPREAD: Eagles (-14) | TOTAL: 44 (via Bovada)
On Friday, we took a look at what other local and national writers are predicting for this one. You can check that out, here.
It's hard to fathom the Eagles are likely about to be 10-1, but, well, here we are.
We’re at the point where everyone tries to convince themselves that each non-marquee matchup is a “trap game” for the Eagles. Perhaps we should collectively come to grips with the fact that this is an elite team, and not your run-of-the-mill, inconsistent Eagles squad.
The Eagles are much better than the Bears are at football. Not going to overthink it.
After watching my undefeated alma mater lose to a 4-7 Pitt team on Friday, I'm quite familiar with how a team can lose a game they have no business losing. A terrible game plan (and an unwillingness to adjust), poor special teams play, bad quarterbacking, and an inability to take advantage of turnovers.
In other words, you need a slew of things to go wrong. And I just don't see that happening with the Eagles.
Last week against the Cowboys, who are a much better team than the Bears even without Ezekiel Elliott, the Birds played arguably their worst half of the season. The game plan was awful, but Pederson switched to a run-heavy attack. Special teams were sloppy, but they just called on a backup linebacker who happens to be able to kick the ball into the end zone. Wentz looked his worst all season in the first half, but lit up the Cowboys in the second half once the Eagles established the ground game. And the turnovers, well, the Birds defense has made a habit of getting the points from those all by itself.
Is there a chance the game is closer than expected and the Birds don't cover? Sure. Is there a chance they lose? Nah, not really.
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