The scary thing about the Philadelphia Eagles? They're so much more than Carson Wentz.
The team's fascinating, second-year signal-caller deserves all the attention in the world for his weekly artistry and rapid development under center, but the team behind him is a fully grown juggernaut.
Take Sunday, for instance, when Philly scattered Chicago's defense with an arsenal of pass-catchers and a gang of hard-charging running backs -- but also a soul-crushing defense that controlled the Bears from wire to wire.
Armed with the fifth best ground game in the NFL, the Bears lashed Detroit for 222 rushing yards in Week 11 and hoped to hang around on Sunday with another powerful outing.
No dice.
Chicago's measly six yards on the ground in a 31-3 loss marked their lowest output since 1952, when Harry S. Truman roamed the White House.
"The biggest thing was limiting the run game,"Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins told the team's official website. "They're a top-five running team, so we knew we would have to stop the run, especially some of the gadget runs they have with two running backs that they're trying to feature.
"Once we were able to do that and make them really one-dimensional, we knew it would be tough for [Bears rookie quarterback Mitchell] Trubisky to match up."
The plot worked, with Trubisky tossing a pair of picks and throwing for just 27 yards in the first half. By the break, the game was entirely over on the scoreboard, allowing Wentz and his ground game -- with a 176 yards on the day -- to rampage and roll over the cowed Bears.
The NFC is a top-heavy, delightful conference filled with plenty of playoff-level outfits, but make no mistake: Philly sits atop the rest.
These Eagles brings to mind powerful outfits of old for their ability to hammer the enemy in so many ways. It starts with Wentz, their starry young signal-caller, but extends beyond to every aspect of a roster primed to fly into January.
And February. And beyond.
