The Chicago Bears (9-3) were Black Friday shopping for their fifth straight win in Week 13, and a visit to the Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) provided perhaps their most dominant victory of the season thus far.
The Bears physically dominated the Eagles for 60 minutes in the 24-15 win, proving to themselves, their opponent, and perhaps the rest of the country that they have a formula for beating the top teams in the league, regardless of when or where they play.
To learn how the Bears were able to earn their ninth win in ten games and inch closer to their first NFC North title since 2018, look no further than these four stats:
6.4
The Bears leaned heavily on their two-headed rushing attack in Philadelphia, with D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
Both backs finished with at least 125 yards and a touchdown on 40 combined carries, accounting for 60% of the total offense. Swift led the way with 130 yards on a team-high 22 carries en route to setting a new season-high total, while Monangai's 125 yards on 18 carries marked the second time this season that he has reached that mark.
Top to bottom, it was a dominant day for the Bears' rushing attack, which totaled 281 yards after adding 26 yards combined from Caleb Williams, DJ Moore, and Luther Burden III. It was the third time in seven weeks that the Bears picked up over 220 yards on the ground, and the performance of the offensive line -- who collectively earned a game ball afterwards -- cannot be overstated.
The Bears were swift (pun intended) in establishing themselves up front versus a playoff-caliber team on the road, and have now averaged 180 rushing yards per game since their week four bye. As the season wanes and they continue to face upper-echelon teams in poor conditions, the Bears would be smart to keep leaning on their rebuilt offensive line and build their game plans around the rushing attack.
39:18
Thanks in large part to their performance on the ground, the Bears dominated the time of possession battle, holding onto the rock for 39:18 of game time.
Not including a one-play, victory-formation drive to end the game, the Bears offense had 11 drives where they ran 84 plays, accumulated 426 total yards, and moved the chains 28 times. Much of this success can be attributed to their play on third down, where they converted 10 times on 17 attempts. Of the seven times they were stopped, the Bears went for it on fourth down thrice, converting once.
The Bears' defense should also earn credit for the disparity in time of possession. Looking at all those same stats, the Eagles had the ball for just 20:42 of gametime on 11 drives, finishing with 51 plays for 317 yards and 14 third downs. Heading into the fourth quarter, Philadelphia had just seven first downs, finishing the game with 14 first downs and a four of 12 third-down efficiency.
Obviously, possessing the ball is a good way to score points while preventing the opponent from doing so, but it's hard to expect more from a team in terms of consistently moving the chains and keeping the other squad off the field. Establishing the run, especially on early downs to set up easier third-down attempts, has become a key part of the Bears' identity, and they made sure to flex that muscle from their first drive onward.
2-11
For as much success as the Bears enjoyed on the ground, they did not get the best performance from Williams, who finished two of 11 on passes beyond 10 yards.
Granted, the game featured consistent wind gusts of around 35 miles per hour, making downfield shots iffy for both teams, but Williams struggled to remain accurate from a clean pocket downfield. The young passer still has room to grow -- which may be viewed as a source of optimism looking at this group's long-term future -- but there was relatively little pressure on his shoulders on Friday as his rushing attack dominated all day.
To complement Williams, the quarterback continues to bring his best when his best is needed. Of his two completions beyond 10 air yards, one came on a clutch third down, where he rolled left and hit Cole Kmet for a 28-yard touchdown to essentially put the game out of reach. The play serves as a microcosm of the jaw-dropping, off-platform throws that Williams is capable of making, but he still needs to focus on converting some of the simpler concepts that Ben Johnson has baked into his game plan.
Please make no mistake about it: Williams is in a fantastic situation, with an intelligent play-caller and a deep, talented stable of pass catchers to work with. If the Bears can get a slightly more consistent version of the quarterback outside of the must-have-it moments, they may become an even more dynamic and frightening offense than they displayed on Friday.
0
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Bears' statement victory is that they avoided their usual back-and-forth, late-game nail-biters by winning a game in which they trailed for zero seconds.
After each team started the game with a scoreless drive, Swift punched in a first quarter, three-yard score to give the team a touchdown lead. A few drives later, a 33-yard touchdown from A.J. Brown had the Eagles in position to tie the game, but a missed PAT attempt kept the Bears' lead at 10-9.
The score never got closer, and the Bears then went on a 14-6 run, thanks in part to a questionable call by the Eagles to go for two after cutting Chicago's lead to nine. Regardless of the rationale behind going for two or not, the Bears closed out the game strong, forcing two second-half turnovers, including a Nahshon Wright strip-fumble and subsequent recovery on a Tush Push attempt.
Read more: Ben Johnson sent a loud and clear message to the NFL after Bears' win vs. Eagles
It's a stretch to call the game a blowout, but it was the third time this season that the Bears failed to trail throughout an entire game. If the Bears can continue to get off to a fast start and close out well, they will remain a tough out in the regular season and beyond.