What the Bears’ win over Eagles means in standings

Things had been looking promising for the Chicago Bears heading into their Friday showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. Then Friday came, and the Bears scored a big one over the Eagles, 24-15. 

Yes, the defending champion Eagles. As a result, the Bears now stand at 9-3 and are in first place in the NFC North, but there is more to that, per Adam Scheffter of the NFL Network.

Not only is Chicago in first place in their division, but they are also now the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Next week, they will square off against their longtime rival, the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, the Packers are coming off a 31-24 Thanksgiving win over the Detroit Lions. 

That puts the Packers at 8-3 with a tie and in second place in the NFC North. Safe to say that next week is a must-win for the Bears. 

Against the Eagles, Caleb Williams threw 17 for 36 with 154 yards and a touchdown in a battle with Jalen Hurts. Though Hurts threw for 230 yards and had two touchdowns, Chicago safety Kevin Byard intercepted him. 

A victory of this magnitude speaks to how much has changed in Chicago under Ben Johnson’s leadership. Last year, Chicago finished 5-12 in Williams’s rookie season. 

How far can the Bears go from here?

After their rumble with the Packers, Chicago has four more games remaining in the regular season. The week after, the Bears will take on the Cleveland Browns on December 14. 

After that, they got one more showdown with the Packers on December 20. Then on December 28, Chicago will face the San Francisco 49ers and will close out the season against the Detroit Lions on January 4. 

The Bears are in a prime position to win their first NFC North title since 2018, when they defeated the Packers. If they keep this up, it will also mark their first 10+ win season since that year.