It wouldn't be a stretch to say the narratives surrounding today's Bears-Eagles game are much more fascinating than the game itself. First, there's the Carson Wentz to Mitchell Trubisky parallels. This discussion primarily centers around what the Bears' rookie prodigy can do in his second season next year (with the right staff in place of course), given the jump Wentz has made in Philadelphia after an up and down rookie season. Wentz refined his raw mechanics, the Eagles surrounded him with weapons he was lacking, and now he's an MVP candidate. The Bears can only hope for similar results in a similar plan this off-season.
Then, there's Alshon Jeffery having a first chance at his "revenge game" against Chicago. The 27-year-old bolted for the Eagles immediately at first crack of free agency in March more than suggesting he was never all that serious in returning to the Bears. There was quite a bit of broken trust between the two parties.
As for the actual game, well, the Bears are 11-plus point underdogs for the 20th time since 1980. In the previous 19 occurrences, they only came out victorious on two such occasions. If you're expecting a monumental upset of a first-place NFC team in Philadelphia, history is not on your side. Sure, John Fox is the major proprietor of the competitive almost-win. When you least expect it, his Bears play up to competition and still fall. And Trubisky himself might have a lot of magic in store to keep the game close.
But this'll be a tough task for a banged-up Bears team that doesn't have the horses to keep up, to say the least.
Here are the WCG staff picks for Bears-Eagles.
Robert Zeglinski
The Eagles currently have the best overall roster in the NFL. They’re well-coached, healthy, firing on all cylinders, and have the MVP front runner at quarterback in Wentz. A banged up Bears squad that for me, is the reflective opposite in many ways, deserves credit if they can somehow stay within 10 points of Philadelphia. I don't see a realistic scenario where they do, though.
Eagles 38 Bears 17
Lester Wiltfong Jr.
The Eagles are the best team in the NFC and the Bears are the, well, they are the Bears.
Eagles 28 Bears 17
Sam Householder
The Bears are 6-2-1 against the number this season and the Eagles are getting a whole lot of points (14 is the latest) which is a TON in the NFL. It's a holiday week, so maybe the Eagles are caught napping but even if not, I think the Bears can cover the big number on the road. I think the Eagles jump out to a big lead and cruise after the half.
Eagles 31 Bears 20
Josh Sunderbruch
At least one Bear gets injured on a meaningless play. It's never close, but for a couple of quarters it looks like it might be.
Eagles 41 Bears 17
Andrew Link
There's no way that this Bears team can beat the Eagles, is there?
The Eagles haven't lost since Week 2. They are on an eight-game winning streak and positioning themselves for home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. This is your classic "trap game". The Eagles have the Seahawks after the Bears, and the Rams a week later. Could we see a team that looks past the lowly 3-7 Bears? Maybe. The Bears have played up (or down) to their level of competition more times than not. The Bears fall, but I think it stays close.
Eagles 31 Bears 27
E.J. Snyder
New kicker Cairo Santos gets a little bit of a workout, but the Eagles don't stumble on the speed bump that is the Bears. The Eagles are sporting two of the best-rated cornerbacks in the game. Watch for them to all but smother the Bears undermanned wide receiver corps. Adam Shaheen might show some sparks again offensively but that's it.
Eagles 31 Bears 16
Jacob Infante
The Bears' defense faces a big challenge in the form of a talented Philadelphia offense. The biggest mismatch, though, is Chicago's offense against an Eagles defense that is the best run defense in the league. That may force the Bears to pass a lot more, which isn't necessarily their strong suit. This game will be closer than a lot of people expect, but the Bears fall to 3-8.
Eagles 24 Bears 17
Patti Curl
The Bears offensive line may be fully healthy this game. The biggest difference there is that they may actually work as a cohesive unit in zone blocking. The Eagles are tops against the run, but they have struggled on outside runs at times. I'm hoping this recipe leads to some Bears success on the stretch plays that were a strength last season but have had mixed results this year. If so, the Bears can keep this game close. But even I don't see them heading into the Eagles' nest and derailing their winning streak.
Eagles 31 Bears 27
Ken Mitchell
There is absolutely no way the Bears can win this game.
So ... they will.
The Eagles are overconfident and have written them off. This is a "win" already penciled in on their calendar.
Upset city!
Bears 24 Eagles 21
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WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Kev H; Sam Householder;Jacob Infante; Andrew Link; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Robert Zeglinski; Like us onFacebook.