Versatile Graham gets playing time
With backup safety Kevin Payne (back) sidelined, Corey Graham played nickel back Sunday night in a bit of a secondary shakeup. For most of the season, free safety Danieal Manning had moved to the nickel spot in passing situations, with Payne filling in at free safety.
"Corey can play a lot of positions," coach Lovie Smith said. "Of course he's going to be a core special-teams player. He can play safety, he can play corner, he's played nickel, and he can play the dime (when the Bears go with six defensive backs)."
Graham led the Bears with 12 special-teams tackled entering Sunday's game.
Up to expectations: Seven-time Pro Bowler Orlando Pace was supposed to provide a sizeable upgrade at left tackle over last year's starter, John St. Clair, and in the offensive line as a whole.
But that hasn't been the case. Jay Cutler already has been sacked 20 times, nine more than he was sacked all of last year, and the Bears were averaging just 3.8 yards per carry on the ground, 27th in the league.
But Sunday night Cutler was sacked just once against the blitzing Eagles, and the ground game picked up 126 yards, although 72 came on one run by rookie Kahlil Bell in his first NFL game.
Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said recently that he wasn't disappointed in the play of the 34-year-old Pace, a 13-year veteran.
Orlando Pace?
"You know what I expected when we signed Orlando Pace?" Angelo said. "That he was going to play the best football he can play, and he's doing that. Did we hit some rough moments? Yeah, that happens.
"But you know what? There are rough moments for all tackles in this league for the most part, especially left tackles. He plays hard, and he shows up. We said this when we signed him: He's not the guy that he was six or seven years ago. We understood that, but he's still a good football player. I'm fine with him."
Select company: Entering Week 11, Matt Forte was the only player in the NFL with more than 1,700 rushing yards (1,720) and more than 700 receiving yards (856) since the start of the 2008 season.
With 2,576 yards from scrimmage since he entered the league, Forte joins Gale Sayers as the only Bears in franchise history with more than 2,500 yards from scrimmage in their first 25 games.
The Eagles did a good job on Forte, limiting him to 34 yards on 14 carries and 4 catches for 20 yards.
Youth movement: After Sunday night, 21 of the Bears' 22 touchdowns have been scored by players 26 or younger.
Tight end Greg Olsen (24) leads the Bears with 6 touchdowns. Rookie wide receiver Johnny Knox (22) has 4 scores (3 receiving, 1 return) and wide receiver Devin Hester (26) running back Matt Forte (23) have 3 TDs, as does tight end Kellen Davis (24), who scored the Bears' only TD against the Eagles.
Quarterback Jay Cutler (26) and running back Garrett Wolfe (25) each have 1.
The only "old-timer" who has found the end zone is cornerback Charles Tillman, who scored on a 21-yard interception return.
Almost perfect: Robbie Gould knocked through field goals from 45, 28, 28 and 49 yards to put the Bears ahead 12-10. But his 48-yard attempt, which would have put the Bears on top 23-17, was blocked. It led to the Eagles' winning TD.
"I just hit a low kick on the last one," Gould said.
Sitting it out: Tight end Desmond Clark (neck) and safety Kevin Payne (back), who did not practice all week, were inactive.
The other inactives were wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias, rookie cornerback D.J. Moore, linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee), guard Lance Louis and defensive tackles Matt Toeaina and Jarron Gilbert.
Clark and Payne are expected back next week against the Vikings at Minnesota.
Sights seen: Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano and former Blackhawks star Chris Chelios were sideline visitors. Zambrano was sporting a white Brian Urlacher No. 54 jersey.