Patrick Chung and the Eagles defense was burnt to a crisp against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in advance of their biggest test of the season this week against the Chicago Bears.
Bill Davis' defense picked a terrible time to break and consequentially break down.
As if giving up 48 points to Matt Cassel and the Minnesota Vikings weren't tragic enough, Brandon Boykin suffering a concussion, Patrick Chung completely losing his footing and Cary Williams losing his cool all paint a nightmarish picture in advance of of perhaps the biggest test of the season Sunday night against the Chicago Bears.
Prior to Sunday's collapse, the Eagles defense was one of the hottest in the league having not surrendered more than 21 points in a single game for nine consecutive weeks.
That streak was over by midway through the third quarter against the Vikings.
Next up is a battle tested Bears team that brings potentially the best all around receiving corps the Eagles have lined up against all season. The Eagles will know whether or not Sunday's performance was a fluke or something that could damage their postseason aspirations after this game, for sure.
Chicago's top two receivers; Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery have both eclipsed 1,000 yards this season – as part of the NFL's fifth-ranked passing offense. They also have potential Pro Bowlers in running back Matt Forte and tight end Martellus Bennett.
"I think it was a bad day," Davis said when asked whether he had seen issues throughout the season. "We've said all along we've got so much work to do. This is year one. We have had a lot of success that probably was unexpected. . . . We'll see Sunday night. It's a huge challenge for us."
With safeties Kurt Coleman and Colt Anderson both dinged up, there's little doubt Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will target the deep middle of the Eagles defense that may lack depth.
There could be help on the way though as rookie fifth-round pick Earl Wolff hopes to return to his starting safety position after missing four consecutive games with a knee injury.
"I'm pretty sure I will, unless something tragic happens," Wolff said. "Let's pray that doesn't happen."
With Brandon Boykin concussed, it could force Chung into action as the slot corner, a matchup the Bears are likely dreaming of.
Three weeks ago the Eagles faced off with the Arizona Cardinals and struggled against the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, the closest comparison yet to the tandem of Jeffery and Marshall the Birds will face this season. In that game Arizona's top two receivers combined for 171 yards, and two touchdowns.
As challenging as a matchup with the multi-faceted, well-rounded Bears provides a chance for this defense to rebound from it's dismal showing against an undermanned Vikings team that took them to the woodshed on Sunday.
"This may have been an aberration, this may have been something that was a combination of a lot of things," Cary Williams said. "We've already assessed, we've already acknowledged the film, we've already acknowledged our faults. We look forward to righting the ship this week, and getting everything back together, back to normal, and playing the defense the way we're known for playing."
The only way for that to happen is if the Eagles can somehow force Cutler into making the kind of mistakes Matthew Stafford made against this defense when it was at its most opportunistic against the Lions two weeks ago.
Cutler threw two interceptions, including a pick-six last Sunday against the Browns.
Slowing the Bears passing attack must start up front with pressure on the quarterback, but the secondary must find it's footing in a game that could either have a division championship on the line or a game that will be little more than a tuneup before a game against the Cowboys with everything on the line the following week.
Either way, Davis and his defense have their work cut out for them Sunday night.
Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
