Bears vs Eagles on Monday Night Football was supposed to be a mismatch, and it was. Just not the way anyone expected. With Caleb Williams out and Tyson Bagent only just cleared from concussion protocol, Chicago handed the ball to 38-year-old third string quarterback Case Keenum, and he beat the unbeaten Eagles 27-7 at Soldier Field on Monday, September 28.
Keenum completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, then added a one-yard sneak for a third score, according to ESPN’s box score. It was his first NFL start since Christmas Eve 2023, when he started for the Houston Texans against the Cleveland Browns. That is a gap of 1,009 days. Both teams are now 2-1.
Head coach Ben Johnson called the performance “extraordinary”, ESPN reported.
How the Bears built a 27-7 lead
Chicago scored first on a shovel pass from Keenum to Luther Burden III in the first quarter, and a 29-yard Cairo Santos field goal made it 10-0 in the second, per the Eagles’ official game recap. Philadelphia’s only points came with one second left in the half, when Jalen Hurts pushed in from a yard out.
The Bears then pulled away after the break. Santos kicked a 48-yard field goal, Keenum found Kalif Raymond for a 41-yard touchdown, and Keenum finished the scoring himself with a fourth quarter sneak. The Eagles did not score again.
Bears vs Eagles key numbers
| Stat | Bears | Eagles |
|---|---|---|
| Final score | 27 | 7 |
| Total yards | 375 | 248 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 36:53 | 23:07 |
| Starting QB | Keenum 24/34, 247 yds, 2 TD | Hurts 16/25, 153 yds, 1 INT |
| Leading rusher | D’Andre Swift 20 for 84 | Saquon Barkley 15 for 82 |
| Leading receiver | Kalif Raymond 6 for 90, 1 TD | DeVonta Smith 6 for 65 |
Source: ESPN box score and the Philadelphia Eagles game recap.
The table tells the story. Chicago held the ball for almost 37 minutes, ran it 20 times with D’Andre Swift, and did not turn it over once. Philadelphia gave it away three times, and two of those were interceptions.
The Jalen Hurts hit and the Andy Dalton interception
The turning point came in the second quarter. On second and 4 deep in Chicago territory, Hurts scrambled toward the sideline and was hit in the shoulder area by Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson as he went out of bounds. Jackson was flagged for unnecessary roughness, ESPN reported.
Hurts got up but was sent for a concussion evaluation. Backup Andy Dalton came in, and on third and goal from the 2 he threw an interception in the end zone to Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman. “I apologized to him,” Dalton said afterwards, according to ESPN. Hurts was cleared, returned on the next series and led the 67-yard drive that ended in his touchdown before half time.
Cameras caught Eagles coach Nick Sirianni shouting at Jackson after the hit. He said after the game that he always comes away from moments like that “with remorse” and admitted: “I didn’t like how I handled that,” per ESPN and the Chicago Sun-Times.
Why Case Keenum started, and how concussion checks work
Williams hurt his hamstring in the fourth quarter of the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and missed his first game since Chicago drafted him first overall in 2024, the Bears said in their injury update. Bagent suffered a concussion in that same game. He cleared protocol on Sunday, but Johnson went with Keenum, a veteran in his 14th NFL season who had planned to retire before joining Chicago.
For casual fans wondering why Hurts had to leave: under the NFL’s concussion protocol, a player showing possible signs of a head injury must come off and be checked in the sideline medical tent by the team doctor and an independent neurological consultant. He cannot return until both clear him. Hurts said he felt fine, adding “wish we could have expedited things”, ESPN reported, but the process is not optional.
What’s next for the Bears and Eagles
Both teams play at 1pm ET on Sunday, October 4 (6pm BST, 10pm PKT), according to the NFL Week 4 schedule on CBS Sports:
- Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles, Lincoln Financial Field, 1pm ET. The Rams arrive after losing a 16-0 half time lead in Denver, as we covered in Rams vs Broncos: Denver wipe out a 16-0 deficit.
- New York Jets at Chicago Bears, Soldier Field, 1pm ET. Whether Williams is back from his hamstring strain is the big question of the week.
