The Chicago Bears defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, led by an impressive performance from third-string quarterback Case Keenum. The 38-year-old quarterback, who hadn’t started a game in 1009 days, threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns with only 10 incompletions.
Philadelphia’s offense struggled as quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for just 153 yards and one interception. Running back Saquon Barkley gained just 82 yards on 15 carries.
It was a different story for the Bears, as they had over 100 more total yards of offense than the Eagles. Running back D’Andre Swift rushed for 84 yards on 20 carries, and wide receiver Kalif Raymond led the way with six receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Luther Burden III also had a solid performance with seven receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Chicago started with the ball and marched down the field on an 11-play drive that resulted in a 8-yard touchdown reception by Burden III. The Eagles punted on the following drive, and the Bears also punted on their second drive.
Tank Bigsby fumbled the ball on Philadelphia's second drive, and Chicago’s Xavier Woods recovered the fumble. The Bears’ third drive of the game reached the 3-yard line, but Keenum’s pass on fourth down was incomplete.
Heading into the Eagles’ third drive, the score was 7-0 early in the second quarter. Philadelphia was in Chicago territory when, on second-and-4 at the 15-yard line, Hurts scrambled for 2 yards and was shoved out of bounds. Philadelphia was called for unnecessary roughness on the shove, but Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson was also called for holding before the shove, so the penalties offset.
Hurts was injured on the play and went to the sideline to be evaluated for a concussion, sending backup quarterback Andy Dalton into the game. After a few runs from Barkley, Dalton’s pass on third-and-goal from the 2-yard line was intercepted by Bears rookie defensive back Dillon Thieneman in the back of the end zone.
Following Philadelphia’s 7:45 drive, Chicago went on a long drive of its own that ended in a 29-yard field goal from kicker Cairo Santos with 1:52 left in the first half. Hurts cleared concussion protocol and reentered the game for the Eagles. He led them down the field and scored a 1-yard “tush push” touchdown with no time left in the half. Chicago led 10-7 heading into the break.
The Eagles started with the ball in the third quarter and punted after three plays. Chicago responded with a drive that ended in a 48-yard field goal from Santos, extending the Bears’ lead to six points at 13-7.
Following another Philadelphia punt, Raymond caught a pass over the middle and took it 41 yards for a touchdown, extending the Bears’ lead to 20-7.
The Eagles faced fourth-and-5 at the Bears’ 46-yard line. Chicago linebacker T.J. Edwards appeared to overhear Philadelphia’s huddle before the snap and intercepted Hurts moments later to end the Eagles’ drive.
Riding the momentum, the Bears ran the ball down the field and drained the clock. With 7:19 remaining, Keenum converted a quarterback sneak on third-and-goal. The Bears now led 27-7. Philadelphia turned the ball over on downs on its final drive, and Chicago ran out the clock to improve to 2-1 with a 27-7 victory.
With Caleb Williams and backup quarterback Tyson Bagent sidelined by injuries, Keenum proved the lights were not too bright for him. After his performance, an argument could be made for moving him up the depth chart to the backup quarterback spot.
Chicago’s defense improved from its previous performances, when it allowed 37 and nine points in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively. Thieneman continues to be solid for Chicago through three weeks, leading the Bears with seven tackles against Philadelphia, while the defense looks improved with Woods back from injury. Edge rusher Montez Sweat continued to lead the Bears’ defensive line with one sack against Philadelphia.
Offensively, Chicago continues to maintain balance with 35 rushing attempts and 34 passing attempts. Raymond has emerged as the main receiving threat for Chicago through three weeks along with Burden III. Colton Loveland, who led the Bears in receiving yards last season, continues to be a nonfactor in the offense with just four receptions for 31 yards against Philadelphia.
Caleb Williams will likely miss at least two more weeks with a hamstring injury, leaving the Bears with a question at quarterback entering their next matchup. While Bagent entered the season second on the depth chart, Keenum’s performance may lead Chicago’s coaching staff to promote him above Bagent.
The Bears will stay home for Week 4 and face the 1-2 New York Jets at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox.
