Friends To Enemies: Bears-Eagles Week 13 Preview

Two 8-3 teams atop their division that have left completely different impressions on their season will formally end their alliance this Friday.

The Bears, led by Caleb Williams, are atop the NFC North for the first time in a while and will take on the Eagles for Amazon’s Black Friday game.

Through their path to the top, they have taken down the Cowboys, Commanders, and Giants in dramatic fashion. They have also seemingly formed a cross-division rivalry with the Commanders due to their late-game heroics.

On the other hand, the Eagles have taken down the Vikings, Packers, and Lions, assisting the Bears’ rise to the top.

Through social media, the two fan bases have become friends due to their teams taking down division opponents.

Enemies in 2018 during the notorious Double Doink Game became friends in 2025. But now, the alliance must come to an end — at least for the weekend.

The Eagles were exposed last week by the Cowboys for their inconsistent offense and poor special teams play. These will obviously play a part in the Eagles’ journey to a holiday weekend victory.

O-Line Deficiency

Jeff Stoutland University has fallen on hard times this 2025 season. Students of the offensive line coach have struggled with injuries and protection.

The Eagles have been blessed with some of the best offensive line play in recent years, and now, without it, they’ve struggled mightily. Stoutland’s students have earned themselves the 15th spot in offensive line rankings according to Pro Football Network.

They’ve avoided a lot of blame recently due to Kevin Patullo’s inefficiency, but eyes are opening towards this o-line. Their best lineman, Jordan Mailata, came into the season as one of the best football players in the league, period. He is now 8th amongst tackles, a first-world problem.

However, it doesn’t begin or end with him. Cam Jurgens, the successor of Jason Kelce, has been an issue for the Eagles. Jurgens was named to his first Pro-Bowl selection last season, but has struggled with injury as well as play. The Eagles center is currently ranked 30th out of 38 centers in overall grade and 35th in passing grade.

While PFF shouldn’t be regarded as the all-knowing statistic, Jurgens simply has to be better for this Eagles team. He’s been beaten often in big plays and does not have the same pulling ability that Kelce had, which made the Eagles’ run game super successful before he retired.

Additionally, the loss of Lane Johnson has been detrimental for the o-line, and Fred Johnson hasn’t been the best fill-in.

Luckily for the Eagles, their opponents this week do not have a strong defensive line. The Bears’ defensive line ranks 29th among all teams, somehow lower than the Cowboys’ earned ranking of 27th.

The Bears’ defensive line couldn’t offer a better opportunity for the Eagles to establish their protection for both the rushing and passing game.

Fangio’s Expertise

The Eagles’ secondary has been through the wringer this season. Just as the offensive line they have dealt with injuries and overall poor play.

Now, more than ever, it is up to Vic Fangio to use his magic and put together a playable defense. While reports suggest that safety Reed Blankenship will be back for the matchup, he may not be at 100%. Blankenship will likely have to play every snap for the Eagles, however, due to Andrew Mukuba’s fractured leg.

Mukuba’s injury will force Fangio to start Sydney Brown at safety alongside Blankenship.

Brown, who hasn’t started since 2023 under Sean Desai, will make his first start this season. Brown dealt with his own injury at the conclusion of the 2023 season and didn’t make much of an impact on the 2024 championship team.

They’ll need Brown to be viable this Friday to suppress this Bears offense, which ranks sixth in yards per game with 369.6. Williams has weapons to work with in Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, and Colston Loveland.

Fangio has done an excellent job this season, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he pulls off another well-executed defensive game, but he’s going to need Brown to play to his scheme.

Britain is Back

Obviously, the game did not come down to Xavier Gipson fielding a punt on their own 2-yard line, but it wasn’t helpful at all.

The Eagles had one of the best punt returners a few years ago in Britain Covey. He ranked among the top punt-returners in yards and yards per return. However, Covey suffered an injury as he tried to establish himself as a receiver last season.

Covey, who has been on the Eagles’ practice squad for the season, was promoted to the active roster on Wednesday, corresponding with Mukuba being placed on injured reserve.

Punt returning hasn’t been the greatest weakness of this Eagles team, but it has been costly, and getting Covey back to his 2023 self and on the field would be a huge bonus.

Friday’s Black Friday game will be a battle between one of the league’s best defenses and one of the league’s best offenses. A duel between Bears head coach Ben Johnson, backed by Williams, and Fangio, backed by a strong defensive line.

There’s plenty for the Eagles to figure out on the offensive side of the ball, especially against a weak Bears’ defense, but the Philadelphia defense must be what shines in order for the Eagles to pull off what Vegas deems to be an easy victory.

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