Special Bonus Edition Bears vs Eagles – 5 Questions with Inside the Iggles
We already chalked up one version of 5 Questions with Mike Burke of Birds Fan, but since this is a huge Monday night matchup, we’ve enlisted a second source to tackle our questions. Enter Bob Wankel of FanSided’s own Inside the Iggles to help answer 5 familiar questions.
1. The Eagles made a big splash in free agency to earn the “Dream Team” nickname, but the start of the season was more of a nightmare. Why the slow start? Have the Eagles now found their stride?
I think any time you assemble the amount of new talent like the Eagles did it’s going to take some time to come together. I felt it would probably take the Eagles some time to get into a rhythm, but I didn’t see four-straight losses, either.
I don’t think it’s fair to say the Eagles have found their stride after gutting out a win against Washington and then blowing out Dallas last week. Frankly, Dallas isn’t a good team. I think if the Eagles can beat the Bears it’s fair to say they’ve found their stride. But the last two wins are irrelevant if they can’t figure out Chicago.
2. The Bears have had pretty good luck keeping Michael Vick bottled up throughout his career. Do you think they’ll be able to keep him under wraps on Monday night?
No, I don’t. I respect what Lovie Smith and his defensive coaches do. I think they’ll have a better scheme in place than Rob Ryan did with the Cowboys a week ago. But from this perspective, this isn’t the same Chicago defense it’s been in the past. Furthermore, the Eagles are killing teams running the football right now. I’m not sure the Bears are going to be able to keep the Eagles’ offense in check.
3. Matt Forte and LeSean McCoy are two of the hottest running backs in the NFL. How would compare their games? Which one would you rather have?
Both running backs have been the focal point of their teams’ offenses thus far. Forte is probably the better of the two in terms of pass catching, but I think McCoy is probably the more explosive back, and he’s only 23-years-old, so I’d probably go with McCoy at this point.
With that said, I think Forte is in for a big game on Monday night. The Eagles have trouble stopping the run and Forte presents a matchup nightmare both on the ground and out of the backfield as a receiver against a very unsteady group of Eagles linebackers.
4. The Eagles defense seems to be getting their act together with a couple of strong performances in their last couple of games. What do they have in store for Jay Cutler and the Bears offense?
Mike Martz has made some adjustments in the passing game which have led to a decline in sacks. They better continue that trend tomorrow night. While the Eagles’ defense is vulnerable to big plays and good running games, they can flat out rush the passer. Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie have started to mesh and have shut down some good receiving corps. I expect Cutler to really struggle getting the ball outside tomorrow night. This game is all about Matt Forte.
5. What’s your prediction for the game on Sunday? Please include a score.
I don’t think we are going to see anything similar to the Eagles-Cowboys game last week. I expect a tightly played game, but I think ultimately the Eagles are building some momentum and are the more desperate team. I’ll take the Eagles 24-20.
Be sure to check in at Insider the Iggles to see my answers to his questions and get ready for GAME DAY!!!