The Chicago Bears (8-3) should feel thankful to enter the final month and a half of the season in playoff position, but they have their work cut out for them with a road match against the Philadelphia Eagles (8-3) in Week 13.
The battle of division leaders wraps up the league's holiday festivities, and the Bears are hopeful to tack on their fifth straight win before playing three NFC North opponents over the final five games. Still, the Bears face a tough Eagles squad that is capable of breaking down even the best teams in the league.
If the Bears expect to add their ninth win in ten outings, they must accomplish the three following keys to success:
Lean on the interior of the offensive line
Despite all the talented skill players on the Bears' offense, the unit's strength may very well be the interior of the line, a group they'll need to rely on against a tough Eagles' defensive front.
Led by a trio of offseason additions in (from left to right) Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson, the Bears' offensive line has averaged 142 rush yards per game while allowing just 1.5 sacks per game, the second and sixth-best marks in the league, respectively. Grinding down defenses up front and keeping Caleb Williams upright has become the identity of the Bears' offense, but they face one of their toughest battles this week.
It is no secret that the Eagles have invested heavily in their defensive interior in recent years, and the tandem of former University of Georgia defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis highlights a fierce group the Bears will have to stifle to win. Overall, the Eagles have recorded 22 sacks, placing them in the bottom half of the league, but nearly a fifth of that production comes from Carter and Davis alone.
With a physically imposing three-technique and nose tackle, Vic Fangio's relatively familiar to Bears fans defense starts up front. With several injuries to Philadelphia's secondary, the Bears' offense should be able to operate smoothly if their guard-center-guard group can move bodies and protect their quarterback.
Shut down the rushing attack
Defensively, the Bears still have a way to go in terms of becoming an elite unit, especially against the run, but Friday poses an opportunity for Chicago's front to get back on track.
Last week, the Steelers accumulated 186 yards on the ground, marking the ninth time this season the Bears have allowed 115 or more rushing yards in a game. Chicago's defensive front is still banged up, especially at the linebacker position, but the group may have better success against one of the league's premier rushing attacks from a season ago.
Coming off their Super Bowl run, the Eagles' rushing attack is not what fans have become accustomed to, as the team has recorded fewer than 100 yards on the ground six times this season. With a dynamic rusher in Saquon Barkley and the looming threat of Jalen Hurts --- both in the Tush Push and in open field --- the Eagles are a sleeping giant offensively, and the Bears cannot afford to be the defense that wakes them up.
Simply put, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has to continue to find creative ways to defend the run, even if it means putting relatively smaller players, such as defensive backs Jaquan Brisker and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, in the box. The weakness of the Eagles' offensive line remains their interior players, and the Bears must find a way to muddy the front to prevent the Eagles from getting rolling on the ground.
Take advantage of a healthy secondary
For the first time this season, the Bears appear to have a fully healthy secondary heading into the week, which they must utilize to shut down a talented stable of Philadelphia pass-catchers.
Highlighted by receivers A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and tight end Dallas Goedert, Hurts has a plethora of athletic and dependable targets to rely on, and recently healed cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon cannot waste time in returning to midseason form.
With Nahshon Wright emerging as one of the league's best ball hawks, Tyrique Stevenson playing consistent ball, and Gardner-Johnson making impact plays from the slot, it is not yet clear how the Bears will utilize their now seven impactful, starting-caliber defensive backs. It would make sense for the Bears to incorporate Johnson and Gordon relatively cautiously, given their injury history, but with good receivers on the other side, they may not be able to afford such conservatism.
Read more: 3 key stats that defined Bears' statement victory over Steelers in Week 12
Regardless of who the Bears trot out, the defense has to mitigate an Eagles offense that has gone over 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns through the air over its last five games. Forcing Hurts to play underneath would help to slow the up-and-down Eagles offense, and if Johnson and Gordon can match their defense's league-leading turnover abilities, they should be able to prevent Philadelphia from doing too much damage in the passing game, even at home.