The Philadelphia Eagles' defense had few highlights in their woeful Week 3 performance, as they suffered a 27-7 defeat to the host Chicago Bears.
Meanwhile, among the many highlights for a Bears offense that faced little opposition on the evening, Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba was front and center far too often.
Andrew Mukuba struggled in Eagles loss to the Bears
Resembling a deer in headlights on multiple occasions, Mukuba was victimized in coverage by journeyman quarterback Case Keenum and an aggressive Ben Johnson-led Bears' offense. The short and intermediate routes dialed up by Chicago ate up the second-year safety, and when he wasn't getting dusted in close quarters, he was also slipping while playing deep centerfield, surrendering a massive 41-yard touchdown from Keenum to Kalif Raymond to make it a 20-7 lead for Chicago in the third quarter.
The final quarter would go no better for the second-rounder, who has struggled to stay consistent since entering the starting lineup last season, as Mukuba was whistled for a massive holding call that handed Chicago a new set of downs on a crucial third down. The Bears would soon extend the lead to 27-7.
Back-to-back blunders to cap consecutive scoring drives for the opposition is not a good look at all.
Troubling trend continues for Andrew Mukuba in Eagles' secondary
It's been a troubling trend that has sparked rumbles about possible changes to the safety position for some time now, but the depth options are limited. Michael Carter II earned more playing time against Chicago and had a few solid tackles, and Epps played decently overall. Still, Mukubaa must play much better if this secondary is going to fire on all cylinders this season.
The recent addition of free agent Kenny Moore might accelerate a change Vic Fangio made at the position, but Moore first needs to acclimate to this defense and scheme fully.
Riq Woolen (two penalties) had a rough go at corner, while Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean (two pass deflections each) played very well in the road defeat.
But the weakness at safety, most notably Mukuba, really reared its ugly head in a disheartening defeat to a beat-up Bears' offense in Windy City.
Dillon Thieneman showed Eagles what they need in a safety
Meanwhile, looking over at the Chicago defense, a rookie safety was making all the right reads, active against both the run and pass, and providing big plays. first-round selection Dillon Thieneman out of Oregon, who was linked to Philadelphia plenty heading into the draft, played tremendous football in the Chicago win. Pacing their defense with six tackles and one pass deflection, the rookie rose to the occasion in a critical second quarter sequence.
With Jalen Hurts temporarily forced out of action, Thieneman snagged an interception in the end zone off a brutal Andy Dalton decision.
It was a tale of two safeties on the evening, and while Philadelphia entered this season feeling relatively good about the talent they have back there, this Week 3 showing is a serious wake-up call.
Read more: Eagles' Week 3 NFC East roundup: Commanders and Giants won, Cowboys crumbled
Mukuba must improve a lot, and fast, for this defense to fulfill its potential in 2026. If not, calls for change at the position will only grow louder from here on.
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