Bears players react to statement win vs. Eagles

The Chicago Bears shocked the NFL world with a definitive 24-15 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday. It marked Chicago's fifth straight win and ninth in the last 10 games as they remain atop the NFC North and now hold down the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

The Bears dominated in the trenches, where the offensive line paved the way for a 281-yard rushing outing (a season best) behind running backs D'Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai. Swift had 18 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown while Monangai totaled 130 yards on 22 carries and a score. Swift and Monangai are the first Bears running back duo to each rush for 100 yards since Walter Payton and Matt Suhey in 1985.

On defense, Chicago never let Philadelphia's offense settle into a rhythm, disrupting and frustrating quarterback Jalen Hurts, holding running back Saquon Barkley to 56 rushing yards and forcing two more turnovers against a team that was the best at protecting the football heading into the game.

As you can imagine, Bears players were fired up after the defining win where they silenced some of their critics. But, most of all, they proved to themselves what they already knew: They can beat anyone they play.

Bears players react to statement win vs. Eagles

RB D'Andre Swift: "We're for real."

QB Caleb Williams: "I think every single game that we play is to make a statement. That's just another game for us. Focus on being 1-0 each week. We keep doing that. We keep focusing on what's inside, the noise inside the building. Honestly, the statements and all of that, it's more of the outside noise. It's more of the kind of stuff for y'all to talk about, the analysts and whoever to talk about."

RB Kyle Monangai: "We knew they are an explosive offense. We're an explosive offense. We knew each possession was important, and we had to put points in the board with each one, and we wanted to do better on some of those drives where we went three-and-out. But we knew drives was going to be at a premium, so I had to make the most of each opportunity."

S Jaquan Brisker: "We should be confident in ourselves. We shouldn't shy away for anything like that. We're on the roll right now, and we could just keep getting better. But that's what we should be thinking [the playoffs]. I mean, we got a whole bunch of dogs in the locker room and things like that, and that's the way we're trending, and we're changing the culture. So yeah, that's how we should think."

S Kevin Byard: "Me personally, and the defense, we took that as a challenge. I looked at the stats before. Jalen only threw one pick this season, so I took it as a challenge to try to go get one. You can even watch the film on mine, I had to really go get it, and [Wright] made a crazy play to strip the ball and recover it on the tush push. We talk about that's the reason why we're the best in the league in taking the ball away."

CB Kyler Gordon: "I think you see by the way we end every game that we're not finished. I think we've got future plans to be somewhere further in February, so that's what we're really shooting for."

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears players react to statement win vs. Eagles