5 things to know heading into Bears vs. Eagles in Week 13

The Chicago Bears will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday, where Chicago is looking to win their ninth game in the last 10 while remaining atop the NFC North in this NFC heavyweight battle.

The Bears are coming off a close win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, where they proved they can preserve a fourth quarter lead. Chicago managed to hold off an Aaron Rodgers-less Steelers squad amid a slew of injuries, including their top three linebackers and two best cornerbacks. The Bears offense posted 31 points, Chicago's defense forced two turnovers and held Pittsburgh to seven points in the second half and Ben Johnson's team continues to roll. Now, they'll face the defending Super Bowl champions in their toughest challenge to date.

Ahead of Friday's game, here are five things to know ahead of the Bears’ Week 13 matchup against the Eagles:

Bears could be getting back Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon

Chicago has been devastated by injuries all season, but nothing as bad as last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers where they were down their three starting linebackers and top two cornerbacks. And they still found a way to win. Now, it sounds like reinforcements are on the way as cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson (groin) and Kyler Gordon (calf) could both return to action against the Eagles. Johnson played just one half against the Detroit Lions back in Week 2, but his return would be a huge boost for this secondary. Gordon has missed time twice this season, but he's a key piece of this Dennis Allen defense. There's also the possibility that linebacker T.J. Edwards will return as he deals with hand and hamstring injuries. Chicago opted not to place him on IR, an indication they thought he'd be back before missing four games. He's already missed the last three games, and this week would be that fourth game.

Bears have the NFL's best turnover differential

The Bears have been the NFL's best team in turnover differential for several weeks, as they've done a good job protecting the football and an even better job at taking the ball away. Chicago has committed just eight turnovers in 11 games, which ranks third in the league. By contrast, the Bears defense has forced 24 turnovers, the most in the NFL, to give them a +16 turnover differential, which is the best for the franchise through the first 11 games since 1985 (+18). Safety Kevin Byard and cornerback Nahshon Wright both lead the league in interceptions (5). That turnover differential going to be important heading into a tough road matchup against the defending Super Bowl champions, where protecting the football and finding a way to get takeaways will be key.

A battle of NFC heavyweights

The Bears and Eagles will square off in a matchup between two of the top teams in the NFC. Both teams come into this game at 8-3 and leaders of their respective divisions, with Philadelphia sitting with the No. 2 seed and Chicago the No. 3 seed. The Bears are riding their second four-game winning streak of the season, and they've won eight of their last nine games. Meanwhile, the Eagles just had a four-game winning streak snapped in a brutal loss to their NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. This Black Friday matchup between the Bears and Eagles has all of the makings of an instant classic.

Bears are the comeback kings of the NFL

Chicago has not made it easy on their fans this season with some miraculous, last-second wins that have taken years off their lives. But they've still found ways to win this season, no matter how ugly, and that's a great thing in Ben Johnson's first season as head coach. The Bears have five comeback wins after trailing in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, which not only ranks first in the NFL this season but is tied for the most in a season since the 1970 merger, per ESPN Research. Quarterback Caleb Williams gets credit for all five of those fourth-quarter comebacks, which is tied for the most by a QB this season.

Bears have struggled vs. Eagles in recent history

The Bears have been all about changing the perception about this organization and rewriting some unflattering history. Now, Ben Johnson's team will face their toughest challenge yet as they head into Philadelphia to battle an Eagles team coming off a rough divisional loss. And, for what it's worth, Chicago hasn't had much luck against Philadelphia in the last decade-plus. The Bears have lost the last six meetings, including a 25-20 loss back in Dec. 2022. Chicago's last win came in Nov. 2011. We'll see if the Bears can, once again, find a way to win against all odds.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Eagles: Things to know heading into Week 13