Eagles Sink Talons in Bears

CHICAGO – The real-life ’86 Bears lost only two games all season. The ARAIG version has dropped two in the opening 2 weeks.

The Eagles (1-1) used big plays on offense and timely plays on defense to win on the road at a breezy Soldier Field.

Safety Wes Hopkins picked off Jim McMahon on the Bear’s second play from scrimmage, leading to a 41-yard Paul McFadden field goal and an early 3-0 Philadelphia lead.

Chicago (0-2) bounced back late in the 1^st when Walter Payton gathered in a 10-yard McMahon toss over his left shoulder for a 7-3 Bears lead. Kevin Butler added a 31-yard FG early in the 2^nd to make it 10-3.

The Eagles answered right back when Ron Jaworski found RB Junior Tautalatasi over the middle on a curl route and he took it the rest of the way for a 67-yard strike. The two clubs went to the locker room deadlocked 10-10.

In the 3^rd, a Dave Duerson pick of Jaworski led to a 21-yard Butler boot and a 13-10 Bears lead (the score of the real-life game, btw).

With the crowd energized, the vaunted Midway Monsters’ defense flexed its muscles sacking Jaworski 3 consecutive times on the ensuing possession. Steve McMichael (-2), Otis Wilson (-3) and Wilbur Marshall (-6) doing their work in the backfield. But the Bears offense produced nothing after the punt and Butler hooked a 44-yard attempt. The momentum was gone.

A switch at QB for Philly produced immediate results. Randall Cunningham hit Mike Quick on a short hook route and the nimble receiver spun away for the tackler and raced 59-yards for the score. 17-13, Eagles. Both defenses held firm in the 4^th.

Next week the Eagles host the Broncos, while the Bears face their rivals up north at Lambeau Field.

A very well-called game by Tony.