Offense
B
The final drive saved a game in which the offense drove inside the Philadelphia 30 six times yet managed only one touchdown and four field goals while getting no points from two first-half possessions starting at the Bears’ 40. Brian Griese had 322 passing yards and had six receivers with at least three catches to make up for a running game that was stymied by Philadelphia blitzers. The Bears’ 386 total yards marked their second best total of the year. Muhsin Muhammad’s TD catch may have saved the season, and the offensive line shook off mistakes to keep Griese reasonably well protected against severe pressure.
Defense
B+
The Bears could not get the Eagles off the field without at least one first down on the first five possessions and seven of eight in the game. But forcing the Eagles to settle for field goals was decisive. After a shaky first half, the defense held the Eagles to 110 net yards in the second, 68 on one drive. Tommie Harris’ two fourth-quarter sacks altered the game, and Brian Urlacher broke up a pass in addition to delivering impact plays all over the field. Tackling was better than last week, but pass defense in the middle of the field was suspect on the Eagles’ TD drive.
Special teams
B+
Robbie Gould kept the Bears in the game with four field goals and was the only Bear to score until the final nine seconds. Devin Hester had perhaps the most productive zero return yards because the Eagles kept the ball out of his hands by repeatedly giving the Bears field position by kicking to the sidelines. Coverage units allowed only one Philadelphia possession to start closer than the Eagles’ 35. Brendon Ayanbadejo turned in big stops, and Israel Idonije continued to command special attention to stop him.
Coaching
B
Personnel problems forced the use of two timeouts in the second half that the offense could have used down the stretch. Credit the coaching staff with a savvy challenge, using a TV timeout for scrutiny time, to reverse a Greg Olsen fumble. Second-half adjustments on defense were a turning point after a wobbly first 30 minutes. But the preparation on offense was especially critical. Brian Griese had the offensive plan down on the final drive when he lost helmet audio and needed to call his own plays, and the line was well schooled to handle the Eagles’ blitzes and allowed just one sack.
