Eagles (9-7) at Bears (12-4)
Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET, Soldier Field, Chicago
TV: NBC
Danny Sheridan’s line: Bears by 6
Eagles’ keys to victory: QB Nick Foles needs to take care of the ball against an opportunistic Bears’ defense. He tied a record for consecutive complete passes (25) in Week 17 before leaving with sore ribs. But Chicago will force him to get rid of the ball more quickly, and he’ll need his receivers to create extra yards after the catch. Redzone execution will also be critical to the Eagles pulling off the upset at Soldier Field, where the Bears have fared well. If Philadelphia can avoid settling for field goals, it can keep up with Matt Nagy’s offense.
Bears’ keys to victory: Chicago will go as far as QB Mitchell Trubisky will take the Bears. He has limited his mistakes over the last three games, but a strong defense can carry him only so far. The young quarterback might have an opportunity to hone his downfield passing against a banged-up Eagles’ secondary, but he also can’t try to do too much and put the ball in harm’s way. The return of WR Allen Robinson and S Eddie Jackson would provide a big boost on both sides of the ball as Chicago returns to as close to full strength as possible in January.
Matchup to watch: Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery vs. Bears CB Kyle Fuller. Jeffery and Fuller had spent three seasons practicing against each other when both were in Chicago, but the Pro Bowl cornerback has taken his game to a new level this season.
Who wins? The Bears have been riding their top defense and have one loss since October. The defending Super Bowl champions don’t have the same juice or homefield advantage this year.
Bears, 24-20