The question I had before Monday night’s game was, which version of the Philadelphia Eagles would we see against the Chicago Bears? And which version is the real version?

Because we’d seen Philly stick it to Dallas 34-7 the week before. And we’d also seen the Eagles cough up three fourth-quarter leads during a four-game losing streak earlier in the season.

So at 3-4 and coming off back-to-back victories, which Eagles team was going to show up on Monday Night Football?

Turned out, it was the same one that gave away fourth-quarter leads to the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers.

Add to that list the Chicago Bears, who came back from a 24-20 fourth-quarter deficit with a touchdown and a field goal to win 30-24 and drop the Eagles to 3-5.

Led by quarterback Jay Cutler(notes) and running back Matt Forte(notes), Chicago improved to 5-3.

Credit Cutler and the Bears, sure. They were resilient, scoring the game’s final 13 points after trailing 24-17 with less than 6 minutes left in the third quarter.

But what stands out even more, to me, is the fact that Philadelphia let another one get away. The Eagles’ season, so full of promise before it began, is in real danger of becoming a complete bust. And if that happens, all we’ll really remember is how much this talented group underachieved, and how many victories they let slip away in the final 15 minutes of games.

That last part is the hardest to swallow. It’s not as though the Eagles are getting blown out, or aren’t showing up, or aren’t measuring up. They’re taking leads. They’re getting themselves in position to win games.

They just can’t hold on and seal the deal.

Monday’s loss to Chicago was the fourth in which Philadelphia held the lead heading into the final quarter. Here’s what happened in the other three:

Week 4: up 23-17 heading into the fourth; lost 24-23 to the 49ers.

Week 3: up 16-14 heading into the fourth; lost 29-16 to the Giants.

Week 2: up 31-21 heading into the fourth; lost 35-31 to the Falcons.

The worst part is, the Eagles didn’t score a single point in any of those fourth quarters.

And on Monday, with a chance to notch their third consecutive victory and really put themselves in position to turn around that rough start, the Eagles did it again.

Unfortunately, I think it’s safe to say we saw the real version of the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Sources:

Eagles still have plenty to prove

Philadelphia Eagles Roster

Philadelphia Eagles Statistics

Cutler rallies Bears past Eagles in fourth

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The Philadelphia Eagles return to Monday Night Football on November 7 to face the Chicago Bears. Since the debut of Monday Night Football, the Eagles have been involved in some of the greatest moments ever. As an Eagles fan, I have plenty of fond memories of the Birds on Monday nights. These are the kinds of moments that are still talked about in Philadelphia today. Here is a look at five of the most memorable moments in Eagles history on Monday Night Football.

November 23, 1970

This game is widely remembered because sportscaster Howard Cosell was allegedly drunk during the telecast and disappeared during the game. But for Eagles fans, this was memorable for being the first Monday Night Football game in Philadelphia. The lowly Eagles were 1-7-1 entering the game while the New York Giants were 6-3. But Norm Snead scored a late touchdown to give the Eagles the 23-20 win.

November 12, 1979

Heading into this game, the Eagles had not won in Dallas since 1965. The Cowboys dominated the Eagles in the 1970s but this game turned the tide. Both teams were 7-3 when it began. The Eagles built a 24-7 lead but Dallas fought back to cut the lead to three. But legendary Eagles running back Wilbert Montgomery capped off his great day with an impressive 37 yard touchdown run to seal the 31-21 win.

October 10, 1988

During his career with the Eagles, Randall Cunningham had plenty of memorable plays. During this game against the Giants, Cunningham had one of his best plays ever. After it looked like he was sacked, Cunningham kept the play alive by putting his hand on the ground and regaining his composure. He then promptly threw a touchdown pass to give the Eagles an early lead. Cunningham had three touchdown passes and 369 yards in the 24-13 win.

November 15, 2004

The Eagles destroyed the Dallas Cowboys 49-21 in this game. The best moment came when Donovan McNabb(notes) had one of his most memorable moments as an Eagles player. Known for his ability to scramble, McNabb ran around for about 14 seconds while eluding an endless stream of Dallas defenders. The then threw a perfect 60 yard strike to Freddie Mitchell. McNabb finished the game with four touchdown passes.

November 15, 2010

This game is memorable for Michael Vick(notes). He had the kind of game that you only see in video games. During a 59-28 rout of the Washington Redskins, Vick threw for 333 yards and four touchdown passes. He also ran for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Collectively, Vick’s six touchdown day ranks as one of the greatest performances ever by an NFL quarterback. Vick hit DeSean Jackson(notes) on an 88 yard score just 18 seconds into the game.

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