Eagles at Bears
Carson Wentz showed he could handle the big stage in his much-ballyhooed NFL debut, but the lights will be even brighter when he leads the Philadelphia Eagles on the road to face the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick overall pick out of North Dakota State, earned raved reviews nationally after guiding Philadelphia to a 29-10 win over Cleveland in its season opener.
Wentz was expected to open the season on the bench but was thrust into the starter's role following the abrupt trade of Sam Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings and responded with 278 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns against the Browns. "It looks like Philadelphia's going to be very well rewarded for the risk they took on draft day, giving up a lot of stuff to get this guy," Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said of Wentz. "The guy's very impressive." Chicago was not that impressive in its season opener, failing to score in the second half in a 23-14 loss at Houston. Playing at home is not necessarily an advantage for the Bears, who won only once at Soldier Field en route to a 5-11 record last season.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Bears -3. O/U: 42.5
ABOUT THE EAGLES (1-0): While Wentz is the new darling of Philadelphia -- his jersey was the No. 1 seller nationally -- after his starry debut, there are major injury concerns on both sides of the ball for the Eagles. Tight end Zach Ertz, who had six catches for 58 yards, suffered a rib displacement under his collarbone and did not practice again Friday, likely robbing Wentz of a safety valve that hauled in 75 receptions in 2015. Cornerback Leodis McKelvin also did not practice with a strained hamstring, putting further stress on a position where Philadelphia lacked depth after trading Eric Rowe to New England. Jordan Matthews had a big first game with seven catches for 114 yards and a TD.
ABOUT THE BEARS (0-1): Chicago's offensive line struggled to protect quarterback Jay Cutler, who was sacked five times and pressured repeatedly while throwing for 216 yards with one touchdown and a costly interception. Speedy wide receiver Kevin White, the No. 7 overall pick in 2015 who missed his entire rookie campaign with a shin injury, had three receptions for 34 yards in his NFL debut and accepted the blame for running the incorrect route on Cutler's pick. The Bears' defense, which ranked in the bottom third of the league against the rush (120.9 yards per game) last season, allowed Houston to control the ball for more than 36 minutes. Alshon Jeffery led the offense with four catches for 105 yards.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Bears are 9-1 at home versus rookie quarterbacks since 2001.
2. Wentz's 101.0 passer rating was the highest by a Philadelphia rookie since John Reaves in 1972.
3. Jeffery has at least 100 yards receiving of a TD in his last three games.