Bears Vs. Eagles: What To Know Before NFC Wild Card Game

CHICAGO - Football is fun again in Chicago, and this Sunday will mark one of the most exciting days for football in the city in quite some time. The Bears make their return to the NFL playoffs after an eight-year absence when they host the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles for a 3:40 p.m. game time at Soldier Field.

Here's a look at the story lines heading into the big match-up.

Alshon's Return

Alshon Jeffrey, the Chicago Bears' leading receiver through much of the team's down years earlier this decade, returns to the city with the Eagles after helping lead Philadelphia to its first-ever Super Bowl title last year.

Trubisky's Playoff Debut

While the Bears' defense has been as good as it gets this season, the play of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has been on both the hot and cold ends of the spectrum. His postseason debut could set the tone for whether he will be considered a playoff asset or liability.

The Main Stage

As the last game on Sunday of the NFL Wild Card round, the Bears match-up against the defending champions is widely considered as the best game of the weekend. The game will be broadcast on NBC, with Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth on the call.

St. Nick Stoppers?

The Bears' incredible defense, led by the one-of-a-kind Khalil Mack, will be tasked with stopping a quarterback who has done nothing but win as of late. Nick Foles has led the Eagles to three consecutive victories since taking over for starter Carson Wentz after Wentz suffered a season ending injury. Foles' late-season success is nothing new. The veteran backup led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory after taking over for Wentz last year.

How They Got There

Bears

The Bears are this season's NFC North champions and the third seed in the playoffs, as they finished the season with a 12-4 record. They closed the season on a four game winning streak, including a win in Week 17 which they didn't really need against a Vikings team which desperately needed it. In fact, it's because of the Bears' victory last Sunday over the Vikings that the Eagles are here in the first place. Had the Vikings beaten the Bears, the two NFC North rivals would've faced off in this Wild Card game, instead.

The Bears are where they are thanks in large part to what is arguably the best defense in all of football. Throughout the course of the regular season, they gave up a total of only 283 points. That's the lowest mark in the entire NFL, and only the AFC North champion Ravens (287 points) are even close. The Eagles, by contrast, surrendered 347 points.

Eagles

After a crushing loss to the powerhouse Saints, 48-7, the Eagles fell to 4-6. The date was Nov. 18. They no longer looked like playoff contenders, nevermind like a team out to defend its Super Bowl championship of a season ago.

Over the final six weeks of the season, despite continuing to suffer from numerous injuries, including to starting quarterback Carson Wentz, the Eagles went 5-1. Those victories included season-altering victories over the the playoff-bound Rams and Texans as well as a season sweep of a decent team in the division rival Redskins.

They needed some luck, but they ultimately earned the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC, entering the 2019 playoffs as a true underdog. When the Birds proudly wore that mantle a year ago, they were a 13-3 squad that entered the postseason as the first overall seed. Experts made arguments that they should not be considered the favorites. This year, there is no argument to be made. When the Eagles head to Soldier Field this weekend, they are undoubtedly the dark horse.

Playoff History

The Bears and Eagles have met twice before in the playoffs at Soldier Field in recent memory.

In 1988, the Bears defeated the Eagles, 20-12 in a game that will forever be known as the "Fog Bowl."

In 2001, the Eagles got revenge with a 33-19 win at Chicago behind native quarterback Donovan McNabb.

This year, one of these playoff rivals will take the rubber match.

Did You Know?

Sunday's game will mark the first time the Bears play at home in the NFC Wild Card round since the team lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 17-13 in the first round back in 1991. The Bears' most recent Wild Card round win at home came in 1990, when they topped the New Orleans Saints, 16-6, at Soldier Field.

Latest Odds and Predictions

The latest odds and predictions from OddsShark.com. The predicted final score there is Bears 26, Eagles 15.

Over at SBNation, five analysts picked the Bears to win, while three picked the Eagles.

Sports Illustrated, meanwhile, has the Eagles, while CBS predicts a narrow victory for the Bears.

Philadelphia Patch Editor Justin Heinze contributed to this report.

Photo via Patch file / Tim Moran