Fierce Eagles pass rush steps up again in victory over Bears

Updated Dec. 18, 2022 5:35 p.m. ET

Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Javon Hargrave slung Justin Fields to the ground, and then celebrated by drawing a door with his hands and kicking it in.

Philadelphia’s defensive line is tough to stop — even with an offensive line.

Hargrave, Josh Sweat and Haason Reddick had two sacks apiece Sunday, helping the Eagles hold off the Chicago Bears for a 25-20 victory. A hustling Reddick also recovered a fumble along Philadelphia's sideline, stopping a Chicago drive in the third quarter.

While dynamic quarterback Jalen Hurts and his top targets have captured most of the attention, Philadelphia's pass rush has played a key role in its NFL-best 13-1 record. The Eagles lead the league with 55 sacks.

The 28-year-old Reddick has a team-high 12 sacks in his first season with Philadelphia after he agreed to a $45 million, three-year contract in March. Hargrave, a 29-year-old defensive tackle, has a career-best 10 in his second year with the Eagles. The 25-year-old Sweat has a career-high 9 1/2 sacks.

Philadelphia has five players with at least six sacks on the season.

“We just out there fighting, because we know if we ain't on time, one of the other dudes is going to get it,” said Sweat, who has six sacks in his last four games. “So we out there fighting but at the same time just keeping our responsibilities so we take care of each other at the end of the day.”

Fields' rushing ability presented a unique challenge for Philadelphia's deep defensive line. He finished with 95 yards on 15 carries, including a nifty 39-yarder, but the six sacks and heavy pressure made life difficult on the second-year quarterback.

“You just got to make sure you don't really get too high on your rushes or not leaving lanes and just really communicating with the defensive line just to try to keep him in the pocket,” Hargrave said.

___

Follow Jay Cohen at https://twitter.com/jcohenap

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL