This week, the Bears are matched up against perhaps the toughest opponent remaining on their schedule: the Eagles. Philadelphia’s defense looked downright scary last week. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson took advantage of good coverage and unleashed a plethora of complex schemes and blitz packages to overrun Ben Roethlisberger’s pass protection and register nine sacks. They also forced two fumbles, snagged an interception, and kept the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 1.7 yard-per-rush average. The unit, gashed by the likes of Tony Romo and Marion Barber in Week Two, looked rejuvenated and spry swarming the Steelers’ offense.

Before I get to the obligatory comments on the Bears’ various miscues in last week’s game, I thought I’d take a more optimistic approach and focus on the positive things we can glean from such a stunning loss. Believe it or not, there are a few. The Bears will face the Eagles in front of a national audience this Sunday night, one of the best teams in the NFC, so they’ll need all the insight they can get.

Last week’s loss to the Carolina Panthers was particularly painful after the way the Bears came out of the gate in the first half. Leading 17-3 in the third quarter, it looked as if the Monsters of the Midway were back to their 2006 form, eagerly champing at the bit. However, a heavy dose of reality subdued the premature celebration, and the team’s lack of discipline eventually did them in. Will this team show the type of resilience needed to win those tough road games? Let’s hope so. Here are some thoughts on last week’s heartbreaker:

The Chicago Bears will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday in their home opener at Soldier Field. The Bears, with a 1-1 record, are coming off a tough loss to the Panthers last week. The Bucs (1-1) won last week against the Falcons. Both teams will need a win to establish themselves in their divisions. The Bears have one of the best defenses in the league but their passing game is seriously lacking. Luckily for Chicago, the Bucs have given up an average of 336 total yards a game in their first two games this season.