Eagles Overpowered on Black Friday as Alarming Trends Continue

The Philadelphia Eagles were thoroughly outclassed on Black Friday, falling 24–15 to the Chicago Bears in a game that felt even more lopsided than the score suggests. What unfolded at Lincoln Financial Field was not a narrow defeat, not a tough break, but a comprehensive failure across all three phases—one that raises serious concerns about the direction of this team. 

While many fans will point immediately to offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, whose performance this season has been under heavy scrutiny, laying the blame solely at his feet would be a mistake. The issues on display run far deeper. 

From the moment the Bears chose to receive the opening kickoff, it was clear their plan was to challenge the Eagles at the line of scrimmage—and they dominated that battle from start to finish. 

Chicago piled up more than 280 rushing yards, the most allowed by the Eagles all season. Former Eagle D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangi each eclipsed 125 yards on the ground, and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams added 154 yards through the air as the Bears finished with 425 total yards. It marked the second straight week Philadelphia allowed more than 400 yards of offense. 

The bedrock of the defense is supposed to be the front 7. Instead, they looked overmatched. While the unit spent nearly 40 minutes on the field, time of possession does not excuse their inability to win at the point of attack—an issue evident from the opening drive. 

Despite the defensive struggles, the Eagles still had chances to swing the game. A highlight-reel third-quarter interception by Jalyx Hunt briefly injected life into the stadium. But just like we’ve seen too many times this season, the offense couldn’t take advantage. 

Jalen Hurts had a difficult afternoon. He missed open receivers throughout the game and committed two costly turnovers, including a fumble on a Tush Push attempt in the third quarter deep in Bears territory with the Eagles trailing just 10–9. Instead of taking the lead in a moment that felt like a potential turning point, the mistake deflated any momentum Philadelphia was building. 

The offensive line didn’t help. Missing Lane Johnson for the second straight week, the unit failed to impose its will in either the run or pass game. Saquon Barkley averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry, but too many blocks were missed and too many plays were blown up before they had a chance to develop. The result: the Eagles opened the game 1-for-8 on third down, putting constant strain on both the offense and defense. 

As much as fans may want to avoid drawing comparisons to the late-season unraveling of 2023, the parallels are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. 

After a 4–0 start, the Eagles have gone 4–3 over their last seven games, losing two straight and averaging just 15.5 points over their last four outings. At 8–4, their cushion atop the NFC East has all but evaporated, with the Dallas Cowboys (6–5-1) suddenly lurking within striking distance. 

Nick Sirianni was unable to stop the bleeding during the 2023 collapse. Now, with his team again teetering and seemingly out of answers on both sides of the ball, the pressure intensifies. The Eagles get an extended break before traveling to Los Angeles for a Monday night matchup with the Chargers—a window that must be used to address the mounting flaws threatening to derail another season. 

Because if Friday was any indication, this team is trending in a direction that should concern everyone in Philadelphia.