LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Bears know that they must protect the ball to win Sunday night’s home game against the Eagles, but that will be easier said than done versus such an aggressive blitz-happy defense.

Philadelphia ranks second in the NFL with 22 takeaways and is tied for second with 29 sacks. The Eagles are also second with 15 interceptions and probably were drooling in anticipation when they saw Bears quarterback Jay Cutler throw a career-high five picks last Thursday night in San Francisco.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has passed for seven TDs and two interceptions in four home games so far this season.

“You don’t win in this league if you lose the turnover battle very often,” said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “You have to protect the football, and we’ve got to do it better than we did the last time out. It’s going to be a challenge because these guys are very good and they always have been with the pressure they bring and all the things they do. They create turnovers, so we’ve got to be really sharp.”

The good news is that the Bears (4-5) have been a completely different team at home this season. While their turnover margin on the road is a distressing minus-13 with five takeaways and 18 giveaways, their differential at Soldier Field is an impressive plus-eight with 10 takeaways and only two giveaways.

Philadelphia’s defensive ends, Trent Cole (7½) and Juqua Parker (5), have combined for 12½ sacks. But what makes the Eagles (5-4) really dangerous is their cache of exotic blitzes.

“That’s just what they are,” said coach Lovie Smith. “Every team has a personality. Philly has taken that approach to playing defense since Andy Reid has been there, so we’re preparing for it. A lot of teams have blitzed us. We’ve seen just about all the different things you can, so hopefully we’ll be ready for it.”

“We have to be really focused,” said running back Matt Forte. “We have to know who’s coming and who to pick up so that Jay has time back there to throw the ball. And if they’re blitzing a lot, somebody has to be open, so we’ve got to give him time to throw the ball.”

The mastermind of the Eagles' scheme was longtime defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, who lost his battle with cancer on July 28. But successor Sean McDermott is running virtually the same defense.

“I don’t think it’s changed much,” Smith said. “It’s the same system. Sean learned it under Jim. That’s what they believe in. A new guy’s running it, but for the most part we’re seeing the same thing.

“That’s why it’s good for us in a way having played them the last couple years. I don’t think there will be a lot of surprises. For the most part, we know what blitzes are coming. We just don’t know when they’re coming.”

The Bears have defeated the Eagles in dramatic fashion each of the past two seasons. In 2007, Brian Griese engineered an 11-play, 97-yard drive capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad with :09 remaining that resulted in a 19-16 comeback victory in Philadelphia.

Last year the Bears preserved a 24-20 win with a valiant goal-line stand, keeping the Eagles out of the end zone on three straight running plays from the 1-yard line with less than four minutes to play.

A third straight win no doubt will be contingent on how Cutler handles the pressure he’s bound to face. The Bears quarterback has been sacked 19 times this season, though he was not sacked by the 49ers.

“They’re very good,” Turner said of the Eagles defense. “They’re very talented. They’re fast. They’re physical. They’ve got two outstanding pass rushers on the edge, and they’re physical inside, so it’s the personnel but also [the] scheme. They bring a lot of pressure. They give you a lot of different looks, and you know when you play them you have to anticipate that. You have to anticipate seeing the pressure.”