Eagles-Bears Game Preview: Who Will Win in Week 3?
The Philadelphia Eagles will visit the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Week 3. Despite a 2-0 start to the regular season, Philadelphia will be looking for revenge in Chicago after the Bears embarrassed them in the City of Brotherly Love on Black Friday in 2025. Chicago’s rushing attack overwhelmed the Eagles as the Bears emerged as a top NFC team.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson ripped his shirt off in celebration following Chicago’s upset victory against the Eagles last season. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni knows how to motivate his team and I’m sure that he’ll be showing that moment to his team ahead of Monday night’s matchup. While the Eagles won’t admit it publicly, this is a revenge game for Philadelphia.
Here’s my game preview for the Week 3 matchup between the Eagles and the Bears.
Three Storylines To Follow
Trust the (Pre-Snap) Process
It’s no secret that Philadelphia’s offensive line has struggled through the first two weeks of the regular season. The Eagles seemed unprepared for the unique blitzes that the Washington Commanders threw at them in Week 1. Following two changes along the offensive line, Philadelphia still struggled against four-man pressures against the Tennessee Titans last week. Now the offensive line will face another tough test against the Bears in Week 3.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen isn’t afraid to dial up the pressure, as Chicago has blitzed on 38.8% of their snaps this season, the eighth-highest rate in the NFL. After seemingly getting a break from the blitz last week, Philadelphia’s offensive line will need to be on point against the Bears. Allen is going to send extra pressure from literally everywhere. It’s going to be up to Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, second-year center Drew Kendall and everyone else along the offensive line to sort it all out pre-snap.
While Chicago’s defensive front may not have Titans All-Pro interior defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, Allen is able to generate pressure in different ways. In the first two weeks of the regular season, the Bears have had nine different players register a pressure. That list includes rookie defensive backs Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad. After looking unprepared against the blitz in Week 1, the Eagles can’t afford to make the same mistakes on Monday night.
It’s Put Up or Shut Up Time for the Defense
The Eagles got absolutely punked by the Bears last season. Chicago’s offense gained nearly 300 yards on the ground as Philadelphia’s defense couldn’t stop the Bears’ rushing attack. The Eagles missed 13 total tackles as the team’s usually stout defense was gashed over and over again. Now Philadelphia will have a chance to prove that last season’s showing against the Bears was an anomaly — not the norm.
Through the first two weeks of the regular season, the Eagles have quietly struggled against the run. They’ve allowed 4.2 yards per carry to opposing running backs and has 20 missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. It’s been a rough start for Philadelphia’s run defense, which is supposed to be anchored by two high-priced players in Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.
The Eagles could receive a major boost on the edge with the potential return of Jonathan Greenard on Monday night. While Greenard won’t be playing a full share of snaps, his presence on the edge against a Bears’ rushing attack that thrives outside of the tackles will certainly help. Philadelphia’s defense has also mentioned that practicing against the team’s new, wide-zone offensive scheme should help in matchups such as this one. Well now it’s time for the defense to put up or shut up.
Can Nick Sirianni Get Over the Monday Hump?
Since arriving in Philadelphia in 2021, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has posted one of the best winning percentages of all-time. Sirianni has a record of 61-26 in the regular season, which gives him a winning percentage of .701. Sirianni’s mark ranks fifth all-time among NFL head coaches and first among active NFL head coaches. Yet for some reason, Sirianni’s team has struggled on Mondays.
The Eagles are just 5-5 on Mondays during Sirianni’s tenure, which includes a victory over the New York Giants during an afternoon kickoff on Christmas Day in 2023. If you dive a little deeper, Sirianni’s team is 1-2 against backups quarterbacks on Mondays. That is notable given that the Eagles will likely be playing against Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum on Monday night. The Eagles should be able to win in Week 3, yet Sirianni’s struggles with an extra day to prepare are certainly worth noting.
Two Underrated Players To Watch For
Makai Lemon, WR, PHI
We’re only in Week 3 of the regular season and I can’t believe that I’m listing Eagles first-round pick, rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon as an underrated player to watch for — yet here we are. If you look at the box score, Lemon has underwhelmed with just four receptions for nine yards through his first two regular season games in the NFL. But it’s worth noting that Lemon has gotten open and played with great effort, he just hasn’t earned the trust of Hurts.
Lemon has also been forced into an odd role where he’s fed touches with a low percentage of actually succeeding. Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has said that the screen game will still be a part of what they do moving forward. While Philadelphia hasn’t had success throwing screens to Lemon just yet, I believe that we could see him get loose on one (or two) against the Bears. Chicago’s defense can be over-aggressive at times, which could lead to Lemon finally breaking free.
Colston Loveland, TE, CHI
Similar to Lemon, I can’t believe that I’m listing Bears tight end (and former first-round pick) Colston Loveland as an underrated player to watch for. Following an explosive end to his rookie year, there was plenty of hype surrounding the 22-year-old heading into this season. Yet through the first two games of the regular season, Loveland has just one reception for three yards. We could see Loveland get back on track against the Eagles.
While Philadelphia’s defense has held opposing tight ends in check through the first two weeks of the regular season, they haven’t exactly played against one of Loveland’s caliber. Both Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell allowed perfect completion percentages and 52 receiving yards each last week. Add in the fact that a tight end is normally a backup quarterback’s best friend and Loveland is certainly a player that I’ll be watching on Monday night.
One Key Matchup To Monitor
DeVonta Smith vs. Jaylon Johnson
When the Eagles traded away All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown, they knew that they had another WR1 waiting in DeVonta Smith. While the 27-year-old had a relatively quiet performance in Week 1, he dominated last week with 10 receptions for 117 yards and one touchdown. Now Smith will be looking to replicate that performance in the Windy City. While Smith will move around the field quite a bit, he’ll likely spend a lot of time against Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Despite being paid like a top cornerback in the NFL, Johnson has struggled in 2026. Through Chicago’s first two games of the regular season, Johnson has allowed eight receptions on 11 targets for 168 yards and a passer rating of 114.8, according to Pro Football Focus. Given the early season success of Smith and his new running mate, wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, I expect Hurts to test Johnson frequently throughout Monday night’s game.
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Final Score Predictions
Anthony’s Pick: Eagles 24, Bears 16
The Eagles used outside noise as motivation last week and I expect them to use their embarrassing performance against the Bears last season as motivation on Monday night. Despite Sirianni’s apparent struggles on Mondays, Philadelphia is entering a relatively favorable matchup against a backup quarterback. If the Eagles are able to bottle up the run and pick up the blitz, they should win on the road in Chicago.
Josh’s Pick: Eagles 27, Bears 22
It’s a funky score prediction for what could be a funky game on Monday night. While I don’t expect the game to be as close as this score prediction makes it seem, Philadelphia has had some weird performances against backup quarterbacks. Ultimately, the Eagles will do enough to get another road win and improve to 3-0 before a massive matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.