This one is special, what with the uniqueness of a 3 p.m. kickoff on Black Friday, with the "Back in Black" theme that encourages all fans to wear black and create an incredible atmosphere, and with the understanding that, yeah, this one is another huge challenge against a very good football team.

Friday's game against the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears, 8-3 just like the Eagles, is a feature affair, the only game in the league on Friday, and a great test for the Eagles. Chicago has reversed its 2024 misfortunes by hiring Ben Johnson as the head coach, drafting smartly, rebuilding the offensive line through the NFL Draft, and nurturing and accelerating the progress of quarterback Caleb Williams.

And so, this is a matchup of division leaders with playoff implications on the line and a whole lot of storylines to discuss …

1. The Eagles offense: Searching for that complete performance

Philadelphia scored 21 points in the first half at Dallas and then did not score in the second half in the 24-21 defeat. There were too many penalties, a fumble by the offense and on a punt return, a missed field goal attempt, and clearly other chances to put points on the board. That has been, in many shapes and forms, a consistent theme throughout the season.

"That's disappointing and that's frustrating, but it's going to give us an opportunity on a short week to get out there and get after the Bears," Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo said. "So, there's a lot to be encouraged by. But at the same time, when those things happen, when you go into the locker room after the game, the frustration levels are high, right? We know how close we were and if those things don't go the way they go, it's a whole other outcome."

The running game, in particular, has not found traction all season, and the Eagles are continuing to explore ways to get Saquon Barkley in gear. It won't be easy against this Bears defense …

2. Chicago leads the NFL with 24 takeaways

There are some injuries the Bears will have to overcome, particularly at linebacker, but they have played good football on that side of the line of scrimmage and, as noted, lead the league in takeaways. Chicago has an aggressive attack; they actively search to take the football away and, added up, are going to put pressure on the Eagles here. The secondary is much improved – keep an eye on safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on the field – and the defensive players will try to rip the football out of the hands of the Eagles' skill-position people on every down. The Eagles have emphasized this all week, so the turnover battle will be telling: Philadelphia is 40-2 under Nick Sirianni when it wins the turnover battle. That's just a fact.

3. Vic Fangio goes against another explosive offense

It seems a little bit out of character to think about the Bears as a leading big-play offense in this league (big plays defined as pass gains of 20-plus yards and run gains of 10-plus yards), but Chicago has young and talented wide receivers in D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, and rookie Luther Burden III. Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland are outstanding tight ends. Running back D'Andre Swift is Lightening and Kyle Monangai is Thunder in the Bears' backfield. And Caleb Williams has made great strides in his second season at quarterback.

"They do a great job at play-action, they throw the ball well and have talent, and the scheme is really tough," said safety Sydney Brown, who replaces the injured Andrew Mukuba next to Reed Blankenship. "Tough group."

Said Blankenship: "They also try to fool you with a lot of eye candy (pre-snap motion, etc.) so you have to trust your eyes and have great communication."

4. Penalties: Keep them to a minimum

Obviously, 14 penalties hurt the Eagles at Dallas. Big time. The Eagles rank 26th in the league in most penalties per game (7.6) and 27th in penalty yards per game (65.6). Chicago is slightly worse than that, ranking tied for 29th with 7.9 penalties per game and 29th with 65.8 yards per game. Focus, focus, focus.

5. Who wins the fourth quarter?

A young quarterback with late-game ice in his veins? That's Williams, who has led five comeback wins in games in which the Bears have trailed with two or fewer minutes remaining in the game. This season. That's remarkable.

The Eagles are a veteran team, they have a winning pedigree, and they have had both great fourth quarters and some they would like to play again this season. The point is, it is never over in the NFL. Not until the final whistle. We saw it last week. We saw it against Denver. And in a good way, against the Rams. The Eagles need to stay on their game for an entire 60 minutes. This Bears team believes in itself coming to Lincoln Financial Field.

6. The run game, the line of scrimmage, and special teams …

• Chicago is second in the NFL running the football, averaging 142 yards per game. They have 48 running plays of 10-plus yards this season.

• The Philadelphia offense looks to avoid negative plays and stay ahead of the sticks. There have been too many three-and-out series, so the goal is to keep every down manageable. Chicago is best in the league when the opposing offense is in a third-and-long situation (more than six yards to go), allowing just seven conversions on 53 attempts.

• The red zone, of course, matters: The Eagles lead the NFL in touchdown efficiency in the red zone on offense and are third-best in red zone defense. The Bears are 16th in red zone offense and 26th in red zone defense.

• A potential factor? The weather. Winds gusts of up to 30 mph or more are expected. This would impact special teams and the passing games. The Eagles saw the same conditions in the win over Detroit. Chicago? The Bears come from the Windy City. Weather won't bother the Bears.