Bears vs. Eagles 2013 final score: Philadelphia crushes Chicago in 54-11 laugher

With both teams facing a must-win situation, the Eagles destroyed the Bears with the running game. Philadelphia spanked Chicago, 54-11, giving them a let up in the NFC East. The Bears now need to beat Green Bay to make the playoffs.

By Jon Benne@LordBenne Dec 22, 2013, 11:30pm EST

The Philadelphia Eagles had a plan for the Chicago Bears -- run the ball down their throats. The Bears had no answer for that plan, surrendering 291 rushing yards as the Eagles breezed to a 54-11 romp. It's the most points Chicago has given up since a 55-20 loss to the Lions in 1997.

Philadelphia moves to 9-6 and is in good position in the NFC East, although they're still headed to a winner take all showdown with the Cowboys. The Bears dropped to 8-7 and also face a must-win scenario against the Packers in Week 17.

The Eagles got things off to a fast start. After a short punt by the Bears, Nick Foles marched down the field and hooked up with Riley Cooper to give Philadelphia a quick 7-0 lead. They got a big break when Devin Hester fumbled away the ensuing kickoff. LeSean McCoy cashed in on the turnover with a goal-line plunge, putting the Bears in a deep hole early.

Chicago's defense has been a weak spot all season, and Foles picked them apart with impunity. He hit a wide-open Brent Celek to take a 21-0 lead in the first quarter alone. Chicago's offense finally showed some life in the second half, but a potential scoring drive ended when Jay Cutler took two sacks that pushed them out of field goal range. The two teams traded field goals at the end of the second quarter and the Eagles went into halftime leading, 24-3.

The Bears seemed to have caught a break when McCoy fumbled on the Eagles' opening drive in the third quarter, but it got reversed on review. Chip Kelly lost a timeout when he challenged the play even though turnovers are automatically reviewed. That glimmer of hope quickly vanished for Chicago--the Eagles pinned them inside the five-yard line on a punt and Matt Forte got tackled in the end zone for a safety. Philadelphia poured it on after the free kick, getting another touchdown from McCoy to bury the Bears.

Chicago finally found the end zone at the end of the third quarter. Cutler led a 79-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown from Brandon Marshall. They tried a surprise onside kick, but the wind blew the ball off the tee, forcing Chicago to abandon that strategy:

From there, the Eagles went back to the running game, mixing in McCoy and Bryce Brown to kill the clock and ice the game. Chris Polk finished off the drive with a touchdown of his own. By the time Brandon Boykin took an interception to the house, Philly fans were already celebrating and chanting "We want Dallas." The Eagles crossed the 50-point mark with a 65-yard score by Brown, getting more than 500 total yards in the process.

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Fantasy studs and duds

LeSean McCoy took one step closer to wrapping up the rushing title, racking up 133 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Bryce Brown's late touchdown run gives him 115 rushing yards on nine carries.

On the other side, Matt Forte was a non-factor as the Bears had to abandon the running game early. He finished with just nine carries for 29 yards, adding four catches for 25 yards.