There might have been a little bit of extra motivation for Chicago Bears cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson to really stick it to his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
After the Bears took care of business with a 24-15 win over the Eagles on Black Friday, Gardner-Johnson was going to enter the locker room to celebrate with his new team. He made a comment that really struck a nerve with Eagles fans, but wasn't entirely wrong.
“What’d I say? They’re gonna fold.”
He didn't have to say it, but Gardner-Johnson was right
It's something Eagles fans have seen all too much this season. The team has had two losses in which it had double-digit leads that it blew in the second half. Then, Philly would follow up those soul-crushing losses with even worse blowout losses.
The Eagles did not look good against the Bears as the offense struggled with 317 total yards, and Jalen Hurts had two incredibly awful turnovers in the second half that made life tougher for Philly. Their defense was not any better, as they allowed 281 rushing yards and were torn apart on every run.
Now sitting at an 8-4 record, the Eagles have a two-game lead on the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East but still have some work to do in the NFC, where the Los Angeles Rams are in first place with only two losses. This is usually where the Eagles pick up their performance and get things back on track with their backs up against the wall.
The schedule moving forward isn't horrible for the Eagles as they have some easy matchups, including the Washington Commanders twice and the Las Vegas Raiders. Philly still has to play good teams like the Los Angeles Chargers and the Buffalo Bills.
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Philly is not completely out of it for the playoffs, but adjustments have to be made to get things back on track.