3. Week 13-At Philadelphia Eagles
The Bears face the NFC East this year, which means they will face the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The NFL did not do the Bears any favors by scheduling this game on Black Friday, when the whole country is tuned in.
Once again, the Eagles are a Super Bowl contender entering this season despite losing several key players to free agency. Like the Ravens, the Eagles have drafted very well under general manager Howie Roseman. Roseman's philosophy in building through the trenches is well proven. The best example is replacing center Jason Kelce after his retirement with Cam Jurgens without missing a beat.
The Bears' defense will face a huge challenge of stopping running back Saquon Barkley, coming off a 2,000-yard season. It will be interesting to see if he will still be able to replicate his success this season as he gets older. Of course, the Eagles are more than just Saquon Barkley. They must limit both AJ Brown and Devonta Smith and disrupt Jalen Hurts all game.
The Bears will play multiple road games against several playoff and Super Bowl contenders, which should help them prepare both physically and mentally before playing the Eagles. The Bears will find out if they have closed the gap between themselves and the Eagles or if the sizable gap still exists.