Bears beat Eagles 27-7 as Case Keenum throws two touchdowns in return
Case Keenum stepped in for injured Caleb Williams and threw two touchdown passes as the Bears shut down Jalen Hurts and the Eagles 27-7 at Soldier Field.
Keenum looks like he never left
Case Keenum hadn't started an NFL game since a 36-22 loss with Houston on Dec. 24, 2023, and he hadn't scored a rushing touchdown since 2019. None of that showed up Monday night. With Caleb Williams sidelined by a right hamstring strain, Keenum stepped in and went 24 for 34 for 247 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Bears to a 27-7 win over the Eagles at Soldier Field that put Chicago at 2-1.
Keenum found Luther Burden III for an 8-yard touchdown in the first quarter, then connected with Kalif Raymond on a 41-yard score in the third. Raymond finished with six catches for 90 yards. Keenum capped the night himself, punching in a 1-yard touchdown run with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter on a 13-play drive that burned more than eight minutes off the clock. D'Andre Swift ran for 84 yards on 20 carries to keep the offense balanced. Asked about getting another shot at quarterback, Keenum said simply, "you dream of it."
A tight game turns into a rout
Chicago led just 10-7 at halftime after Jalen Hurts scored on a 1-yard run with no time left in the second quarter, answering a Cairo Santos field goal. Santos had already kicked a 29-yarder before that score, and he added a 48-yard field goal in the third quarter before Raymond's touchdown put the Bears up two scores. From there Chicago outscored Philadelphia 17-0 in the second half to turn a close game into a comfortable win.
Eagles keep beating themselves
Philadelphia fell to 2-1 and turned the ball over three times without forcing a single takeaway, the third straight game to start the season the Eagles have failed to get one. Jalen Hurts threw an interception and finished 16 for 25 for 153 yards. Saquon Barkley ran for 82 yards on 15 carries, but the run game never translated into points.
The Eagles had one real chance to answer, going for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 49 with about four minutes left in the third quarter while trailing 20-7. Hurts couldn't draw Chicago offside, Philadelphia took a delay-of-game penalty instead, and had to punt. Hurts was intercepted by T.J. Edwards on fourth-and-5 from the Chicago 46 in the final minute of the third quarter, ending the last real threat. Chicago finished with 24 first downs and 375 total yards to Philadelphia's 14 and 248, and committed just five penalties for 45 yards compared to the Eagles' ten for 61.
Two banged up rosters
Beyond Williams, the Bears were without Anthony Johnson Jr., who is on injured reserve, and listed Cam Lewis (leg) and Braxton Jones (knee) as questionable. Philadelphia was without Tanner McKee, Fred Johnson, Cole Payton and AJ Epenesa, all held out by coach's decision or injury. Both teams sit at 2-1 heading into the next round of games.
Facts per ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.