The NFL returns to Black Friday again this year and will head to Lincoln Financial Field for a matchup between the Bears and Eagles.
The Bears and Eagles enter this game as the leaders of their divisions and two NFC playoff contenders. This will be the first matchup between the two teams since 2022, before Caleb Williams won the Heisman trophy and when Matt Eberflus was in only his first season as the Bears head coach. The Eagles have won six straight games against the Bears dating back to 2013—including the infamous “double doink” game at Soldier Field.
With both teams looking to win their divisions and contend in the NFC, here’s a look at how Bears-Eagles will impact the NFC playoff picture.
How Bears and Eagles stack up
The Eagles come into Friday’s matchup as the defending Super Bowl champions, and one of the best teams in the conference. They’re also coming off a loss to the Cowboys where they blew a 21-point lead and saw their offensive woes finally cost them. The Eagles are an uber-talented team that could certainly win the Super Bowl again, but their offense has stalled in almost every game this season. They’ll look to get their offense back on track against a bottom-10 Bears defense.
The Bears enter this stand alone game as one of the surprising teams of the 2025 season. While Chicago was expected to improve under first year coach Ben Johnson, leading the NFC North at 8-3 through 11 games was even better than what Chicago optimists could have hoped for. What the Bears have done this season is impressive, but this game will be their first real test. So far, the Bears have only beaten one team that is above .500—a Steelers squad missing starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Eagles will be the first of five games the Bears play against playoff contenders to end the regular season.
Current NFL playoff picture - NFC
Here's where the NFC stands going into Week 13. The top seven teams would be in:
What a win means for the Bears
A win over the Eagles will keep the Bears atop the ever-competitive NFC North. Chicago currently holds the edge in their division battle with the Packers and Lions, but it’s a close race. The Bears will have little room for error down the stretch, making this and every game ahead crucial if they want to win the division.
Beyond the division race, beating the Eagles could prove that the Bears are for real. As noted above, Chicago has feasted off of weaker teams so far this year. Defeating the Eagles would show to themselves and the league they can compete with the best of the NFC heading into the postseason.
What a win means for the Eagles
The Eagles hold firm control of a weakened NFC East, so a win this Friday is not as important to them as it is to the Bears. However, Philadelphia still will have plenty of motivation to come out with a victory. For one, the Eagles offense has yet to find their groove this season and will want to play better against the Bears.
More importantly, the Eagles are still hopeful to earn the No. 1 seed. Their loss to the Cowboys set them a half game behind the Rams, who have one fewer loss than them this season. While the Eagles hold a tiebreaker over the Rams, they need to keep winning to ensure the Rams don’t extend their lead over them.
Bears remaining schedule
Eagles remaining schedule
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Bears-Eagles Game Will Affect NFL Playoff Picture.
