Eagles-Bears: Five Positive Factors From Philadelphia's 24-20 Win Over Chicago

The Philadelphia Eagles avoided a three-game losing streak by defeating the Chicago Bears 24-20 in a game where both teams were desperate for a win.

The win helped the Eagles improve to 6-4 on the season and kept the race tight in the NFC East since both the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys came through with Week 11 wins, as well. Here are a few quick notes regarding the Eagles big win.

The Eagles Come Through In a “Must-Win”

Last week, Donovan McNabb called Sunday night's game against the Bears a "must-win">Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb called Sunday night’s game against the Bears a “must-win.” With the way the NFC East has played out the last few weeks, it’s understandable why.

Prior to Sunday night’s game, the Eagles trailed the Dallas Cowboys by one game in the NFC East standings and held the tiebreaker over the New York Giants, thanks to their head-to-head matchup. They were in sole possession of the first wild-card spot and wanted to continue to stay in shape for the playoff hunt.

With four losses at this point in the season, the Eagles need every win they can get from here on out. Considering the Cowboys and Giants both came through with wins on Sunday, the Eagles knew they would need to come through with a win over the Bears, especially with a difficult remaining schedule.

Donovan McNabb and the Eagles Came From Behind in the Fourth Quarter

Throughout his career, McNabb has been criticized for not being able to lead his team on a game-winning drive. However, his performance in the fourth quarter against the Bears was something we're not used to seeing from him—and hopefully we can see it more often.

With 11:01 left in the game and the Bears up 20-17, McNabb helped the Eagles drive 62 yards to take a 24-20 lead with just over five minutes left to play. While running back LeSean McCoy topped off the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run, McNabb went 5-of-6 for 40 yards and was a major factor on two key third-down plays.

Prior to Sunday’s game against the Bears, the Eagles were 1-8-1 in their last 10 games decided by single digits. It must feel nice for the city of Philadelphia to come up on the winning end in a game decided by single digits this time around.

Eagles End Winless Streak on NBC Sunday Night Football

Here’s a fun fact: Sunday’s win over the Bears was the first time the Eagles had ever won on Sunday Night Football since it switched over to NBC in 2006.

In 2006, NBC picked up the rights for Sunday Night Football, which was previously shown on ESPN before they started broadcasting Monday Night Football. Ever since the switch, the Eagles have struggled each time they were scheduled to play on NBC.

Three-and-a-half years and eight games later, the Eagles have finally ended their winless streak after defeating the Bears. Instead of 0-8, they now have an all-time record of 1-7 on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

Quarterback Michael Vick Breaks Loose…Finally

OK, it may have only been ONE run, but the 34-yard Wildcat run by Eagles' quarterback Michael Vick on the first drive against the Bears was a huge confidence booster for a player struggling to get anything good going this season. The smile on his face showed what a relief it was to finally make that big play he was previously known for doing on a weekly basis.

Vick’s 34-yard run was more than his combined total yards for the entire season. While he has struggled to live up to the expectations set in the offseason, his run helped the Eagles jump out to an early 3-0 lead.

Now that he finally had that explosive run everybody has been waiting to see from him all season, hopefully Vick can continue to provide the Eagles with big plays for the remainder of the schedule.

Wide Receiver DeSean Jackson and Running Back LeSean McCoy Both Make Up For Fumbles

Of the three turnovers by the Eagles in their game against the Bears, two of them were from DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy.

While the turnovers may have been costly at the time, both Jackson and McCoy made up for their mistakes by coming up with touchdowns. Jackson hauled in a 48-yard reception from McNabb in the third quarter, and McCoy found the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Along with their touchdowns, Jackson hauled in eight receptions for 107 yards, while McCoy ran for 99 yards on 20 carries. If the Eagles want to be playoff contenders, they will need major contributions from both players for the rest of the regular season.

Dan Parzych Is the Eagles Fan Voice for NFLTouchdown.com