Morning Box Score: Bears Clip Eagles' Wings For 30-24 Victory

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Nov 8, 2011 4:00PM

Playing on Monday night in hostile Philadelphia, the Bears were facing a team many expected to compete for the NFC crown. Even with a 3-4 record, the Eagles were eight-point favorites coming into the game. But the Bears left the City of Brotherly Love with a 30-24 victory to improve to 5-3 on the season. The Bears won the game on both sides of the ball, with the offense able to move the ball while the defense kept Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy mostly in check.

Behind Matt Forte, the Bears marched down the field on the game's opening drive to take an early 7-0 lead. Forte carried six times for 52 yards before Jay Cutler connected with Matt Spaeth for a five-yard touchdown pass. Early in the second quarter, Major Wright picked off Vick to set up for a 51-yard Robbie Gould field goal and a 10-0 lead.

The Eagles got a return field goal on their next possession, then a Forte fumble let Philadelphia back into the game. Forte was stripped after catching a pass and the Eagles returned the ball 22 yards to tie the game at 10. The Eagles muffed a punt deep in their own territory just before the end of the half, with the fumble (along with some timely penalties) allowing the Bears to tack on another touchdown before halftime on a Marion Barber 2-yard run.

The Eagles opened the second half with an 80-yard, 15 play drive that lasted nearly seven minutes. Ronnie Brown punched the ball in from four yards out to tie the game at 17. Less than two minutes later, the Eagles capitalized on another Forte fumble. McCoy broke free for 33 yards to find the end zone and give Philly its first lead of the game, 24-17.

Trying to shift momentum back in their favor, the Bears managed to add a field goal on their next possession. In the fourth quarter Cutler found his favorite target of the night, Earl Bennett, in the corner of the end zone to cap a quick drive that allowed the Bears to regain the lead, 27-24, and then added another field goal after an unsuccessful fake punt attempt by the Eagles gave the Bears excellent field position.

So how did the Bears, eight point underdogs playing in a hostile environment, come away with the victory? On offense, they again relied on Matt Forte, who ran for 133 yards on 24 carries. The passing game was also respectable, with Cutler completing 18 of 32 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Bennett caught five passes for 95 yards. The offensive line also played well. Cutler wasn't sacked a single time -- only the second time that's happened since he joined the Bears -- and minimized the penalties while opening holes for Forte and Barber.

Defensively, the high energy Bears defense -- led by Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers and Lance Briggs -- kept the Eagles' biggest weapons in check. Michael Vick ended up with a 60 QB rating, while McCoy was kept well below his average yards from scrimmage. Were it not for a couple of inopportune Forte turnovers, this game could have been a blowout.

With a three-game winning streak and momentum in their favor, the Bears look to take control in the wild card hunt. If the playoffs were to begin today, they'd be the last team in and sitting pretty with wins over potential rivals for that final spot like Atlanta and Tampa Bay. But they're now just one game behind the 6-2 Detroit Lions, who happen to play at Soldier Field on Sunday. A Bears victory would really solidify their playoff chances! (Sunday, Nov. 13 3:15 p.m. Fox 32, WBBM 780AM, WCKG 105.9 FM)