Edwards’ interception reflects Allen’s changing Bears coverage

T.J. Edwards' interception of Jalen Hurts helped finish an Eagles drive that Dennis Allen had made difficult to read before the snap. With Philadelphia facing fourth-and-five late in the third quarter Monday night, the Bears showed three defensive linemen and six defensive backs, with Edwards and Devin Bush threatening pressure over the center. Edwards then dropped into the left flat and intercepted Hurts.

A separate clip shared by Ari Meirov during the game showed Edwards appearing to listen to Philadelphia's call. The broadcast image marks the start of the fourth quarter; it does not establish that this moment preceded the interception, which came late in the third. Edwards told the Chicago Sun-Times he tried to listen but did not understand terminology left over from his years with Philadelphia. The clip does not prove that he learned the play call.

The reporting points to Allen's coverage plan as the firmer explanation. In Patrick Finley's original Sun-Times report, Edwards described the coordinator's weekly changes in defensive looks and the importance of forcing longer-yardage situations so Chicago could use them. The interception was the Bears' third takeaway in a 27-7 victory and came with 27 seconds left in the third quarter.

Philadelphia had converted two of four third downs before halftime. After the break, the Eagles went 0-for-5 on third down and failed on both fourth-down attempts. Finley reported that they managed 52 yards on 20 second-half plays. The Bears held them scoreless after a one-yard Hurts touchdown at the end of the first half.

Chicago's official account posted a collection of the defensive plays after the win.

Allen's personnel choices also went beyond the usual starters. Finley reported that rookie Malik Muhammad started at outside cornerback in place of Tyrique Stevenson and played every defensive snap. Five defensive backs played at least 70 percent of the snaps, while Elijah Hicks played 22 percent and Stevenson eight percent. Those figures describe how extensively Chicago used its secondary, including on the look that preceded Edwards' interception.

Rookie safety Dillon Thieneman supplied another interception, picking off reserve quarterback Andy Dalton in the end zone. The Bears' official statistical review noted that Thieneman and Muhammad became the team's first pair of rookies to record interceptions within the first three games of a season.

The Jets are next. Chicago will need another plan suited to its opponent, rather than assuming Monday's exact pressure and coverage combinations will work again. Against Philadelphia, Allen's changing looks and the defenders' execution produced three takeaways and kept the Eagles out of the end zone for the entire second half.