It wasn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but a win is still a win. That is the prevailing thought of the Eagles after their 31-3 victory over the Chicago Bears Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field in an NFC game in front of a near capacity crowd.

The Eagles were thoroughly in control throughout the contest and were playing a team, the Bears, that had little reason to play hard outside of the fact some players might be trying to reach incentives built into their contracts.

If they had more motivation than to increase personal statistics, then the game might’ve been a lot closer. The Eagles committed 11 penalties and fumbled the ball four times, losing three. With those kind of mistakes, if they had played a team with an experienced quarterback, the Eagles might’ve had to pay dearly for their miscues.

Bears’ rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky didn’t lead his team to their only score, a field goal, until the third quarter but the birds were still well ahead, 24-3. With second-year quarterback Carson Wentz leading the team, the Eagles weren’t in danger of coming undone and losing a huge lead.

This was the Eagles (10-1) ninth straight win and they continue to lead the NFC East Division by a margin that few people ever thought likely back in the pre-season. Dallas and Washington are next with 5-6 records and the Redskins can help the Eagles when they play the Cowboys on Thursday Night Football.

If they beat the Cowboys, then the Eagles clinch the division before they even play the Seattle Seahawks Sunday night. The Seahawks game and the rest of the schedule will still hold importance because the Eagles want to finish with the best record possible so they can have home field advantage in the post season and a first round bye.

They had better clean up their play by then and not play sloppy and loose. In the NFL, a team can get away with playing that way some times, but a team shouldn’t make a habit of it. The Bears (3-8) are in last place in the NFC North by two games. Even if they had won, they would’ve still been in last place. That doesn’t make for a formidable opponent. Formidable opponents are almost a sure thing in the NFL postseason and a team must take care of the ball and be disciplined. Or else they lose in the playoffs and are forced to come up with reasons for not playing up to their capabilities.

The team continues to celebrate following touchdowns or interceptions on defense. But one celebration went for naught in the second half. The Eagles intercepted a Trubisky pass only to have the interception ruled an incomplete pass by the officials. But by then, the team’s defensive secondary had already performed the electric slide – in front of an audience that found it entertaining – and their rehearsal during the week went wasted.

The Seahawks game is set for prime time 8:30 p.m. on Sunday Night Football. The Seahawks could have far more at stake. They’re 7-4 in the NFC West and are a game behind the L. A. Rams who travel to Arizona.