Eagles Blow Out Chicago Bears on the way to Dallas…

A "laffer" is rare these days in the NFC, but the Eagles pulled off a beat-down of the Chicago Bears on Sunday night, 54-11.  The Birds played tough in all phases of the game. The win may mean nothing in the real-life challenge of having to go down to Dallas next Sunday and beat the Cowboys to get into the playoffs, but the Eagles proved they are ready, willing and able.

Nick Foles threw two touchdown passes, LeSean McCoy ran for two scores and the Philadelphia Eagles routed the Bears on Sunday night in a matchup of first-place teams with opposite stakes.

Chicago's loss sets up two winner-take-all games for NFC division crowns next week.

The Bears (8-7) came in needing a win to clinch the NFC North and secure the No. 3 seed, while Philadelphia was just trying to stay healthy. But the Eagles (9-6) played like the team trying to lock up a playoff berth.

Now, the Bears must tie or beat the Packers (7-7-1) at home next week to win the North.

The Eagles (9-6) have to tie or beat the Cowboys (8-7) in Dallas next Sunday night to win the NFC East and complete a worst-to-first season under their rookie coach. Once Dallas rallied to beat Washington earlier in the day, the Eagles knew they were only playing for a No. 3 seed even if they win the division.

Foles was 21 of 25 for 230 yards, and set a franchise record with a completion percentage of 84.0. In only nine starts, Foles has 25 TD passes and two interceptions. He was replaced by Michael Vick midway through the fourth quarter.

By that time, fans were chanting: "We want Dallas!"

McCoy, trying to become the first Eagles player to lead the NFL in rushing since Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren in 1949, ran for 133 yards and leads Kansas City's Jamaal Charles by 189 going into the last game.

Bryce Brown had 115 yards rushing, including a 65-yard TD run.

The Eagles dominated from the start.

Trent Cole sacked Jay Cutler to force a three-and-out on Chicago's first possession, and the Eagles went right down the field and scored when Foles hit Riley Cooper going across the back of the end zone on a 5-yard pass.

Bradley Fletcher then forced Devin Hester to fumble after a 36-yard kickoff return and Cary Williams recovered at the Bears 39. Foles connected with Zach Ertz for 27 yards and McCoy ran in from the 1 to make it 14-0.

The Bears went three-and-out again and Foles drove the Eagles 72 yards, tossing a 10-yard TD pass to Brent Celek on third down.

Cedric Thornton tackled Matt Forte in the end zone for a safety and a 26-3 lead in the third quarter. McCoy then ran in from the 1 to make it 33-3.

Chris Polk had a 10-yard TD run in the fourth quarter and Brandon Boykin returned an interception 54 yards for a score to make it 47-11.

Chicago's only TD came when Cutler tossed a 6-yard pass to Brandon Marshall on the final play of the third quarter.

Cole had three of Philadelphia's five sacks on Cutler, who hadn't gone down more than three times in a game previously this season.

Bears seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs returned to the lineup after missing seven games because of a fractured shoulder. He wasn't much help.

The Eagles racked up 514 yards.

The Bears had a chance to secure a division title because Green Bay lost to Pittsburgh and the New York Giants eliminated Detroit from playoff contention.

And so now, as so many of our regular posters here have told us all year long, it all comes down to one game in Dallas next Sunday for the Eagles to take their division title.  A win or a tie gets the job done. Whatever inspiration the Birds got today from their internal leadership, let's hope it carries over to Dallas.

Eliot Shorr-Parks' QUICK TAKE ANALYSIS— 

There was plenty to like about the Eagles performance, from the effort and fight they showed to the flawless execution of a great gameplan from Chip Kelly.

There will be plenty to talk about from this one, but here are some quick thoughts from the Eagles big win:

LeSean McCoy: McCoy said this past week that he wanted to put the offense on his back, and he did just that against Chicago. McCoy ended the night with 133 yards and two touchdowns, dazzling the crowd with one ankle-breaking move after another. The Dallas Cowboys had to be worried watching the game, knowing they will have to deal with McCoy next week.

Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher playing special teams — Cornerback Bradley Fletcher stripped Devin Hester on a kick return in the first period, and Cary Williams recovered it. Yes, you read that right — the Eagles two starting cornerbacks were playing on special teams. Chip Kelly has put an emphasis on special teams, and it shows as the team's top three top signings this offseason — Williams, Fletcher, James Casey — all play special teams. That’s how you convince your team that  the ST part of the game means something.

Nick Foles rolling — Each week Foles seems to show a new wrinkle in his game, and against the Bears he displayed the ability to throw the ball on the move. Foles did a great job keeping his eyes down the field as he rolled to his right against the Bears, escaping pressure and keeping the play alive. Foles found Riley Cooper in the back of the endzone after rolling to his right in the first quarter, and found Cooper again down the field later after escaping pressure. The kid has obviously been studying vintage film of the great quarterbacks under duress…

Challenge on the Fumble: In the third quarter, Chip Kelly challenged a LeSean McCoy fumble after he had it stripped right around midfield. After Kelly threw the challenge flag, lead umpire Mike Carey announced that the Eagles would be charged a timeout. The play was overruled, but the Eagles were still charged a timeout when they didn't need to be. Rookie coach move by Kelly…

Chris Polk: Polk has started to replace Bryce Brown as backup running back over the past few games, and it showed why on Sunday. Polk had a nice run after the catch in the second quarter, making one Bears defender miss on his way to the first down.

Bryce Brown: Polk wasn't the only backup running back to make some noise, as Brown broke loose for over 100 yards against the Bears. His 65 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter showed off what makes him a special player, as his break away speed was very much on display.

Cedric Thornton: Cedric Thornton has had a solid season, and is continually named one of the best defensive lineman by the coaches. He made another big play on Sunday, when he brought down Matt Forte in the end zone for the safety. The safety not only gave the Eagles two points, but the ball back — which they drove right down the field for a touchdown.

Michael Vick: Vick served the role of human victory cigar against the Bears, as he came in late in the fourth with the game already decided. The fans greeted him with a loud round of applause, something the back up quarterback deserved after how professionally he handled his demotion.

Trent Cole: It used to be the older the season got, the slower Trent Cole became. Those days are long gone, however, as Cole has come on strong as the Eagles make their playoff push. Cole had two sacks against the Chicago Bears on Sunday night, bringing his season total up to seven.

Alex Henery: Seeing a 49 yarder from Henery was a good sign for the Eagles, as he has struggled with long kicks all season. The Eagles are going to need a confident Henery next week in Dallas, as the game could come down to a critical field goal. Good for Henery's confidence to see it go in.

Coming to Play: It would have been easy for Eagles players to hang their heads and pack it in for Dallas next week, knowing a win meant very little against the Chicago Bears. Instead, the team came out and played one of their more complete games of the season. Credit to Chip Kelly for getting his team ready to play after a crushing loss to Minnesota last week, and having his guys pumped up when plenty of fans felt the starters shouldn't even have played.