Bears fans have grown tired of hearing that the team has not beaten anyone of note this season. Their counter-argument, that the Bears do not control their schedule, has a flaw: the one time Chicago faced a legitimate Super Bowl contender, the Lions beat them 52-21 in Week 2.
The Bears have had an easy road to their 8-3 record. Their last five wins came against quarterbacks Mason Rudolph, J.J. McCarthy, Jaxson Dart, Joe Flacco and Spencer Rattler. They have regularly beaten teams in a slump, including the Cowboys (3-5-1), Raiders (2-9), Commanders (0-6), Saints (1-8), Bengals (1-8), Giants (0-6), Vikings (1-5) and the Steelers (2-4), who then led the AFC North. The one time they met a team on the rise, they lost 30-16 to the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, with Tyler Huntley starting in place of Lamar Jackson. The eight teams that have lost to the Bears are a combined 8-22-1 since facing them.
The metrics are no kinder. The Bears have the NFL's 31st-ranked strength of schedule (.369, 46-79-1), and their strength of victory (.324, 29-61-1) is the lowest among teams with winning records. Every team they have beaten ranks 18th or lower in the latest ESPN power rankings, and five are in the bottom 10. The Steelers (6-5) are the only defeated opponent currently in a playoff spot.
Still, the eye test suggests real progress. The Bears did not reach 8-3 by maxing out against weak teams, but with room left to grow. Ben Johnson's play-calling and Caleb Williams' ability to make special plays give the offense two strengths that translate against any opponent.
That sets up the most intriguing game of the season, against the Eagles on Friday at Lincoln Financial Field. For the first time since Week 2, the Bears have a chance to beat a top opponent, and they are 11 weeks better than they were then. The Eagles have played in the Super Bowl in two of the previous three postseasons. Bears safety Kevin Byard said: "This is a team that was just in the Super Bowl, so they have a winning culture. We know that." He added that the Eagles will play a full 60 minutes and called the matchup "a heavyweight match for sure."
The Bears will be on a short week, on the road, against a defending Super Bowl champion coming off a loss to a rival. Their best route to an upset appears to be controlling the clock and limiting possessions for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles' offense. In the Eagles' three losses, the Broncos (34:17) and Giants (30:59) won the time-of-possession battle, and the Cowboys held a 25:02 to 16:30 edge last week, outscoring Philadelphia 24-0 after trailing 21-0 in the second quarter.
The offensive line will matter. The Bears are second in the NFL in rushing at 142.3 yards per game but managed only 99 against the Steelers, when injuries to Theo Benedet and Jonah Jackson ended a six-game run of continuity for the starting group (418 of 419 snaps). The Eagles rank 20th in yards allowed (340.1), but they are eighth in points allowed (20.5) and third in red-zone touchdown rate (48.5%). Opposing quarterbacks have a league-low 57.3% completion rate against them, though Williams is 7-0 this season when he completes less than 60% of his passes.
On the other side, an Eagles offense that has slipped (17th in scoring after finishing seventh last season) meets a Bears defense that has yet to be at full strength. Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds (groin, injured reserve) and T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring) and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (hip) are out, while cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson, out since Week 2, and Kyler Gordon, out since Week 8, could return.
The key battle may be turnovers. Chicago's defense ranks 27th in yards (362.8) and points (26.5) allowed, yet leads the NFL with 24 takeaways, including 16 interceptions. The Eagles have the fewest giveaways in the league with six, and Hurts has thrown just one interception, along with 17 touchdown passes and a 106.0 passer rating. Philadelphia's inconsistency showed last week, when it scored 21 points in the first 19 minutes against Dallas, then was shut out over the final 41 minutes, gaining 134 yards on 25 plays.
