Instant analysis of Bears' big win vs. Eagles in Week 13

The Chicago Bears took down the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, 24-15, on Black Friday to improve to 9-3 after an 0-2n start.

This is the biggest win the Bears have had in a long time. Winning this one was important for three major reasons. First, they just defeated one of the best and most battle-tested teams in the NFL. Their confidence should be at an all-time high at this point. Second, they take a lot of jabs from the media for being where they are as a result of a favorable schedule. That fair context to their season so far, but now they have an undeniably big win on their resume.

The third and most important reason is that this victory makes them 9-3 and keeps them in sole possession of first place of the NFC North. Chicago is well on its way to a playoff berth.

The Bears did not win this game with ease. The Eagles made them second-guess things late in the game, but Chicago found a way to win again. The Bears did go up 7-0 and never let the lead slip to trailing, but the Eagles did get within one, making it 10-9 in the third quarter. From there, the Bears buckled down and outscored them 14-6 in the fourth quarter.

Head coach Ben Johnson released the running game in this one, where Chicago totaled 281 rushing yards. Kyle Monangai ran the ball 22 times for 130 yards and a touchdown. D'Andre Swift had 18 carries and 125 yards with a score. To say it was a dominant day for the pair would be an understatement.

Quarterback Caleb Williams and the pass game were pedestrian. Williamscompleted 17-of-36 attempts for 154 yards and a touchdown with one interception. They found more success in the running attack and went with it. Johnson did a great job identifying what was going to work best for his team and executed it. The game plan worked.

Takeaways have been a big theme on defense for this team. This time, they were playing against the offense with the fewest amount of turnovers in the NFL, so the challenge of taking the ball away got even tougher. The Bears forced two turnovers in the game to keep the good streak going. Safety Kevin Byard recorded his league-leading sixth interception while cornerback Nahshon Wright forced and recovered a fumble.

Being 9-3 is an incredible achievement for the Bears. That includes everyone involved, including the coach, general manager, quarterback, and all of the players. A win over the Eagles is something to build on with the best possible vibes. Next up is the highly-anticipated first matchup against the Green Bay Packers in Week 14. The Bears will go into that game, if Ben Johnson has anything to say about it, with the highest level of focus.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Eagles: Instant analysis from Chicago’s Week 13 win