1) Williams, Bears enter prove-it stretch run
If you’re in first place in a division — especially one as brutal as the NFC North — entering Thanksgiving week, you are for real. However, the Bears still have some questions to answer in the final six games of the season. That much is obvious from their chances of making the playoffs sitting at 59%, by far the lowest of the seven NFC teams currently in playoff position. To prove any doubters wrong, Chicago must make it relatively unscathed through a gauntlet that includes four opponents squarely in the playoff hunt still to go: Eagles, Packers (twice), 49ers and Lions. Chicago’s defense should continue to help, even as injured as the group is, but most eyes will be on the offense. Can Caleb Williams continue to make magic happen? He’s been vastly improved in his second season. To go along with a league-leading five game-winning drives, he has 2,568 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. His sacks are also way down. After taking an average of four a game in 2024, he’s at 1.5 in 2025. But Friday might represent his toughest test yet, an Eagles defense that’s limited teams to under 200 net passing yards in three of its past for outings. However he fares, the future appears bright. Last Black Friday, the Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus. This Black Friday, Williams has a chance to deliver Chicago its ninth win by taking down the Super Bowl champs.
