Eagles-Bears preview

by Paul Domowitch

Special teams

Eagles 24, Bears 20

Chargers 31, Eagles 23

Cowboys 20, Eagles 16

Eagles: The pressure will be on PK David Akers and P Sav Rocca to keep the ball out of the hands of the Bears' dangerous return man, Devin Hester. Eagles are 28th in kickoff coverage. Akers has five touchbacks in his last 19 kickoffs, but seven of the other 14 have been returned 29 yards or more.

Bears: Devin Hester is the league's best return man and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He already has three returns for touchdowns. PK Robbie Gould has missed just five of his last 46 field-goal attempts. P Brad Maynard has had just eight of 28 punts returned.

PICK: BEARS

Who's hot, who's not

HOT:

Eagles: RB Brian Westbrook. Had 156 rushing and receiving yards vs. Jets and is averaging 7.0 yards per touch this season.

Bears: PR/KR/WR Devin Hester. Had an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown and an 81-yard TD catch vs. Vikings.

NOT:

Eagles: PK David Akers. Has missed three of his last seven FG attempts, including two of five vs. Jets.

Bears: RB Cedric Benson. Is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry in the first 6 games.

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What we're watching

Each week in the Eagles Playbook, Daily News football writer Paul Domowitch provides five keys that fans should be keeping their eyes on:

1. Devin's impact: Any time Devin Hester touches the ball, he's a threat to take it to the end zone. He already has three returns for touchdowns, including an 89-yard punt return last week against Minnesota. The Bears also are increasing his reps at wide receiver. He had an 81-yard TD catch last week.

2. Brian's song: The Vikings' Adrian Peterson torched the Bears' defense for 224 yards and three TDs on just 20 carries last week. Now it's Brian Westbrook's turn. He notched 156 rushing and receiving yards against the Jets last week and is every bit as elusive in space as Peterson. The Bears, who finished sixth in the league in run defense last season, are 26th through 6 weeks.

3. Eagles' red-zone production: Last season, the Eagles owned one of the best red-zone offenses in the league, converting more than 50 percent of their trips inside the 20 into touchdowns. After going 0-4 against the Jets (three field goals), they currently rank 14th in the NFC in red-zone production. Last week, they had 12 offensive plays inside the 20 and ran it only three times.

4. The Bears' struggling ground game: Brian Griese isn't good enough to be a 35-pass-a-game quarterback. He needs to be complemented by an efficient running attack, but the Bears are averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. The Bears were 10-1 last year when they had 30 or more rushing attempts. But they're averaging just 26 per game this year.

5. Bears tight ends: Brian Griese has relied heavily on tight ends Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen since replacing Rex Grossman. Twenty-two of their 33 receptions have come in Griese's three starts. In the last 2 weeks, they've combined for 230 yards and two touchdowns. So far this season, the Eagles have done an effective job against opposing tight ends.