On Black Friday, the Eagles will try to bounce back from a loss to the Dallas Cowboys when they host the Chicago Bears for a Week 13 matchup. The last time the teams met was during the 2022 season, a 25-20 road win for the Birds.
Despite a loss that saw the Eagles (8-3) squander a 21-0 lead to their division rivals, they enter Friday’s game as seven-point favorites. The Bears, who are also 8-3, are heading into the game riding a four-game winning streak, with their latest coming over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Will the Eagles bounce back from a loss? Or will the team fall to an NFC North opponent for the first time this season? As both teams prepare, here’s what the Bears are saying about the Birds …
‘This is a heavyweight matchup’
At this time last year, the Bears were on a five-game losing streak heading into a Thanksgiving matchup with the Detroit Lions. This year, Bears fans have more to be excited about, with Chicago winning eight of its last nine games.
Bears safety and Philadelphia native Kevin Byard has history with both sides. After getting released by the Eagles in March 2024, following half a season with the Birds, he signed a two-year deal with the Bears. The 32-year-old defensive back is excited to make his return to one of the most “hostile” environments.
“This is a team that was just in the Super Bowl,” Byard told reporters. “They have a winning culture, they have a winning mentality. We preach 60 minutes. We know they’re going to be a 60-minute team as well. … This is a heavyweight matchup for sure, and obviously we’re going into a hostile environment in a stadium that I played in, played against.
“For example, if their offense goes three-and-out starting the game, they’re going to start booing them. It’s one of those environments where it’s going to be very hostile. So, hopefully we can start fast and kind of get the crowd against their own team.”
‘They’re finding ways to win’
Although the Eagles have struggled to find an identity on offense, Byard isn’t underestimating the defending Super Bowl champs.
“Stats for the entire offense have been down, but they’re finding ways to win,” Byard said. “I mean, look at us, our stats haven’t been great on defense but we’re finding ways to win. … Stats is something we can all look at and judge. But at the end of the day, they’re finding ways to win. I think that’s just a testament of their culture and our culture. So, it’s definitely going to be a challenge for us. Just culture against culture — whose culture is better?”
The Eagles skill positions are full of big names, including Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith. Although Barkley and Brown are not putting up the same productive numbers as last season, Byard knows the threat posed by both Barkley and his former Tennessee Titans teammate Brown.
“It’s a huge challenge,” Byard said. “First and foremost, you talk about Saquon Barkley, like you said, he hasn’t had the year that he had last year. But I mean, he’s still a threat every time he touches the ball. He’s a guy that we’re going to have to corral, and I think when you talk about game plan against a team like that, I think he’s definitely priority No. 1, to stop him.
“And then you talk about A.J. and [DeVonta Smith], A.J. is still that guy. You know, I spent four years with him, just watching him on film, he’s very, very talented. But, honestly, if you watch the film, Smitty has been the guy that I think Jalen Hurts has the most chemistry with, receiver-wise. … If we can eliminate those big plays down the field, that would be good.”
Hurts’ advice to Caleb Williams
The Bears’ second-year quarterback, Caleb Williams, is prepared to compete against a familiar foe on Friday: Hurts. The two have met in the past, including when Williams was getting recruited to Oklahoma as Hurts was on his way out.
Williams reflected on the “wisdom” Hurts shared with him years ago.
“[We talked about how] there’s not many like us in our position — who we are, skin tone, and all these different things — there’s not many like us,” Williams told reporters. “So, just being able to understand the opportunity that we have and I have to maximize that and put myself in the best opportunity possible. It was kind of that type of talk. Jalen, you’ve heard all his bits. He’s pretty motivational when he speaks up here.”
‘We do have a plan in place’
The Bears also say they’ve been planning a way to stop the Eagles’ signature Tush Push. And they already had some practice with the play a week early in their 31-28 win over the Steelers.
The Steelers went into their own Tush Push formation before running the ball to the outside with Kenneth Gainwell, who broke a 55-yard run against the Bears. Now Chicago is preparing to face the original Tush Push.
“Obviously, we saw it twice last week,” said Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. “The thing that makes it more challenging is that they’ve got several plays off of it. It’s a tough play to stop. I think this team runs it better than anybody else in the league. I think the best way to defend it is to not get in those situations — trying to create more third-and-long or fourth-and-long situations. Keeps them out of those situations. It’s certainly a difficult play to stop.
“We do have a plan in place. We feel like it’s a good, solid plan in terms of not only trying to stop that play but all of the plays that come off of it. And that’s what makes it even more difficult to stop.”
‘He’s like the Godfather’
Bears head coach Ben Johnson knows he faces a tough challenge when it comes to beating this Eagles defense led by Vic Fangio.
“He’s like the Godfather in a lot of ways,” Johnson told reporters. “He’s kind of taken the lead over in terms of that scheme. … He’s influenced the game significantly.
“I never worked with Vic, but a lot of respect from afar, obviously. The people that have worked with him speak so highly of how he calls a game. He’s usually a step ahead of the opposing play-callers. So, it’ll be a challenge here just to make sure that we’re trying to keep him as off balance as we possibly can.”
