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Eagles 31, Bears 3: Jeff McLane's Up-Down Drill

Eagles coach Doug Pederson's squad didn't play its best football, and still won the game by 28 points.

Philadelphia Eagles players had plenty of reason to celebrate during Sunday’s 31-3 win over the Chicago Bears at Lincoln Financial Field, though the “Electric Slide” dance might have been a bit gratuitous.
Philadelphia Eagles players had plenty of reason to celebrate during Sunday’s 31-3 win over the Chicago Bears at Lincoln Financial Field, though the “Electric Slide” dance might have been a bit gratuitous.Read moreDavid Maialetti/Staff Photographer

Doug Pederson

Up: Pederson's squad didn't play its best football — and still won by 28. The Bears are a hapless bunch playing for a lame duck coach, but the ease in which the Eagles beat them was impressive. There will be plenty for Pederson to harp on this week — three lost fumbles and 11 penalties — but his players are likely to respond before a two-game, West Coast swing.

Zach Ertz

Up: It took 11 games for the Eagles to have a receiver with over 100 yards receiving — a testament to their diversity — but Ertz was due. The tight end caught 10 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown and is back on track after a hamstring injury and a quiet night in Dallas last week.

Carson Wentz

Up: Only two other quarterbacks in the history of the NFL had thrown 28 touchdowns or more and no more than five interceptions in the first 11 games — both Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers did it twice. On Sunday, Wentz became the third. And how about that 180-degree spin and scramble for a first down?

Eagles O-line

Up: The offensive line continued its season-long consistent play. The Eagles rushed for more than 100 yards for the 10th straight game and Wentz was sacked only once (when he held the ball too long). Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, and Brandon Brooks deserve Pro Bowl consideration.

Nelson Agohlor

Up: He had a dazzling would-be touchdown called back in Dallas, but there was no denying Agholor on his 15-yard catch-and-run score on Sunday. He somersaulted over the goal line and later pounced on a fumble in the end zone for another touchdown.

Brandon Graham

Up: He notched his seventh sack of the season in the third quarter — a career best — but Graham's stop on third-and-short in the first quarter had more impact on the game.

Alshon Jeffery

Up: The Eagles receiver was quiet after the break, but Jeffery had a strong first half against his former team. How he knocked down all 10 pins without a ball remains a mystery, though.

Eagles running backs

Sideways: LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi, and Corey Clement all averaged more than  5 yards a carry. But Blount fumbled twice and Ajayi once. With winter coming, ball security will be of the utmost importance.

Eagles run defense

Up: If it weren't for a late Mitch Trubisky scramble, the Bears would have finished with negative rushing yards. Chicago's running offense was supposed to be a strength. The Eagles turned it into a weakness.

Eagles pass defense

Up: Trubisky is a rookie and without much receiving help, but the Eagles stifled the Bears through the air. Jim Schwartz's defense has yet to allow a completion over 32 yards in its last seven games. Of course, they've yet to face a quarterback as good as the one they'll see in Seattle on Sunday.

Kenjon Barner

Up: It won't show up in the stat sheet, but Barner made a heads-up play when he dragged the unsuspecting Jaylen Watkins from a rolling Chicago punt.

Celebrations

Sideways: We're all for fun here at Up-Down, and the Eagles' group celebrations have been imaginative and indicative of a team-first attitude. But even Doug Pederson was concerned about their length and the possibility of a delay of game penalty. And the defensive "Electric Side" dance may have been gratuitous.