CHICAGO — Javon Hargrave tackled Justin Fields to the ground, then celebrated by grabbing the door with his hands and kicking it out.
Philadelphia’s defensive line is tough to stop — even with the offensive line.
Hargrave, Josh Sweet and Haason Reddick each had two sacks to help the Eagles hold on for a 25-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The dashing Redick also recovered a fumble along the Philadelphia sideline, ending Chicago’s third-quarter drive.
“First of all, we worked very hard. That’s first and foremost,” Reddick said. “We feed off each other’s energy. This is another matter. It’s like one guy gets one, the other guy gets one, and the next thing you know, we’re all getting sacks.”
While dynamic quarterback Jalen Hurts and his top targets have gotten much of the attention, Philadelphia’s pass rush has played a key role in its NFL-best 13-1 mark. The Eagles lead the league with 55 sacks.
Redick, 28, has a team rating of 12 sacks in his first season with Philadelphia after agreeing to a three-year, $45 million contract in March. Hargrave, a 29-year-old quarterback, has a career-best 10 yards in his second year with the Eagles. Pott, 25, has a career-high 9 1/2 sacks.
Philadelphia has five players with at least six sacks on the season.
“We’re just fighting because we know if we don’t make it, one of the other dudes is going to get it,” said Sweet, who has six sacks in his last four games. “So we’re out there fighting, but at the same time just doing our jobs to take care of each other at the end of the day.”
Fields’ rushing ability presented a unique challenge for Philadelphia’s deep defensive line. He finished with 95 yards on 15 carries, including a remarkable 39-yarder, but six sacks and heavy pressure made life difficult for the sophomore quarterback.
“You just have to make sure you’re not really throwing too high or leaving lanes, but just really communicating with the defensive line to try to keep him in the pocket,” Hargrave said.
Fields went to the locker room in the fourth for a drip because he was dealing with cramps, but he returned in time for Chicago’s next drive.
“I think they did a great job of putting pressure on me today,” Fields said.
Philadelphia’s defensive line set the tone early. Pote pulled Fields for a third down on Chicago’s second possession, forcing a punt. The next time the Bears had the ball, Hargrave got his first sack on third down.
Redick recorded his two sacks in the second quarter and Sweat had his second of the half just before halftime.
“I’ve been throwing well all year,” Pott said. “I’m just trying to find ways to cut the time to get there, and I think it just comes to me.”
Redick, who played college ball at Temple and grew up in Camden, N.J., also made a big play in the third. With Chicago in Philadelphia territory, Redick recovered Velus Jones Jr.’s fumble before he could go out of bounds.
“We have one of the best D-lines in the league,” Eagles cornerback Darius Slay said. “The guys really eat, they eat well, so they never leave the game hungry.”
