Philadelphia (1-0) at Chicago (0-1)
When: Monday, September 19th 2016
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Time: 8:30 ET | TV: ESPN
The Chicago Bears will look to rebound from their Week 1 loss in Houston when they host the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Chicago’s offensive line failed to protect the quarterback all day as Jay Cutler was sacked five times and pressured repeatedly while throwing for 216 yards and an interception. 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. Alshon Jeffery led the offense with 105 yards receiving, but had just four catches. Chicago failed to score in the second half of that game and allowed Houston to control the ball for 36 minutes. The Bears return home where they were 1-7 last year, but are 9-1 against rookie quarterbacks since 2001 at Solider Field.
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The rookie we’re talking about is No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State. Wentz made such a splash in his debut last week that his jersey immediately became the number one seller. The Eagles cruised to a 29-10 win over Cleveland behind Wentz and a strong defense, but they’ll face a bigger task in prime time tonight. Wentz threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns while not turning the ball over. Tight end Zach Ertz, who had six catches for 58 yards, suffered a rib displacement under his collarbone and did not practice again Friday. Ertz caught 75 balls in 2015 and looks like he’s becoming one of Wentz’s favorite targets early on. Jordan Matthews had a big first game with seven catches for 114 yards and a TD.
Wentz could be one of those rare guys who come out of the gate and have immediate success. I’m not buying his jersey until I see a few more games, but I do like him here tonight. Chicago is terrible at home and the Eagles defense is very underrated. Most places have this game at 3, but it won’t cost you a lot to buy the half point.
Pick: Eagles +3.5
