Some say leftovers are the best part of the Thanksgiving holiday, and this year’s Black Friday matchup is proof of that. The Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles are set to square off on Black Friday in a very important matchup for both franchises.
The Bears (8-3) are surging in the NFC after winning four straight games and are starting to make people take notice of their success. They took down the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-28 despite dealing with numerous injuries on defense and have control of the NFC North for the second week in a row.
The Eagles (8-3), meanwhile, are having to rebound after blowing a 21-point lead to the Dallas Cowboys to lose 24-21. Despite winning the Super Bowl in February, Philadelphia has been dealing with internal strife with upset players and questionable coaching decisions. They will try and right the ship before things really start to spiral.
Chicago is looking to snap its six-game losing streak to the Eagles, their longest active streak against any opponent. These games have featured some of the most memorable moments in Bears history, including one all fans would like to forget. Could this be another memorable matchup that vaults the Bears from pretenders to contenders? Here are our bold predictions for Bears at Eagles:
1. Luther Burden catches a TD
Luther Burden continues to earn more and more snaps on the Bears offense, and he’s making the most of those opportunities. Over the last two weeks, Burden has garnered five targets in each game while playing nearly 50% of the offensive snaps. Burden has become more of a focal point in the offense, and he has the chance to make a name for himself on a national stage.
Philadelphia’s defense has talent at every level, but they struggled to stop Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens in the slot last week, where he went nuclear for 146 yards and a touchdown. Burden may not have the size or range of Pickens, but he does have more speed and quickness. He will exploit the Eagles’ defense by having a solid game, including a touchdown for the first time since Week 3.
3. Montez Sweat forces a fumble
No one has been playing better over the last month than Montez Sweat. Since Week 7, Sweat has totaled 6.5 sacks, 21 total tackles, eight for loss, two forced fumbles, and three pass deflections. Last week alone, he notched two sacks and three tackles for loss against the Steelers. He’s finally playing like what the Bears envisioned when they paid him to be their highest-paid player back in 2023 and has a golden opportunity to build on his production.
Sweat has five sacks, 10 QB hits, and nine tackles for loss against the Eagles during his career. Many of those games came while facing All-Pro tackle Lane Johnson as well. Johnson is most likely out due to injury, and the Eagles will need to play Fred Johnson in his place once again. It’s an ideal matchup for Sweat, and he will get after Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, including forcing a fumble at some point during the game.
3. Nahshon Wright gets INT in third straight game
The Bears are set to get Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon back on the field this week against the Eagles, giving their secondary a major boost going into the final stretch of the season. That doesn’t mean some of their key reserves won’t continue to see playing time, however.
Nahshon Wright has been outstanding for the Bears this season after being pressed into starting duty, totaling five interceptions and 10 passes defensed. Two of those picks have come in back-to-back games with incredible grabs down the sideline. Given the Eagles’ penchant for throwing curl routes and the likelihood that Wright will line up against a similar-bodied receiver in AJ Brown, he’s poised to get his third pick in as many games with how he is playing the football.
4. Bears overcome two-score deficit at halftime
Sometimes football games can be a tale of two halves. Things start out poorly for one team before they turn it around in the final two quarters of the game. That’s somewhat been the story of the 2025 Eagles. Philadelphia has gotten off to fast starts this season and is seventh in the NFL in average first-half points with 14.4. But they tend to fall off in the second half, averaging just 8.8 points, good for 27th in the league, according to Team Rankings.
On the flip side, the Bears are fairly even. They’re averaging 13.4 points in the first half and 12.9 points in the second half, both top-10 in the league. I expect the Eagles to open up a double-digit lead in the first half, only for the Bears to climb back in the second half. While I can’t fully predict a victory, this one will go down to the wire—just like pretty much every other Bears game this season.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears at Eagles: 4 bold predictions for Friday’s matchup
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
