Case Keenum Lifts Bears Past Eagles in Statement Win

With Caleb Williams unavailable, the Bears needed competence, composure and just enough playmaking to survive against a 2-0 Eagles team. Instead, they got a performance that turned a potential crisis into one of the early surprises of the season. Case Keenum, the 38-year-old backup who had not started since 2023, completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards, threw two touchdowns and added a rushing score in Chicago’s 27-7 win on Monday night.

The result says plenty about Ben Johnson’s offense. A week after Chicago looked disjointed in a low-scoring loss to Minnesota, Johnson adjusted quickly and built a plan that fit Keenum’s strengths. The Bears did not ask him to be a hero every snap, but when chances appeared, he was accurate, decisive and in control. Touchdown passes to Luther Burden and Kalif Raymond highlighted a night in which Chicago looked balanced and efficient rather than limited by its backup quarterback.

A defining night for Keenum and Chicago

Keenum’s outing also carried historical weight. He joined Ryan Fitzpatrick as the only quarterbacks to start and win games with seven different NFL teams, a list that now includes the Bears along with previous stops in Houston, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Denver, Washington and Cleveland. For a veteran long viewed as a steady reserve, it was a remarkable addition to an already unique career.

For the Bears, the bigger takeaway is what this win means in the NFC North race. Chicago now keeps pace in a division that already looks crowded, with Minnesota off to a 3-0 start and Detroit sitting at 2-1. The Bears return home to face the Jets before a major Week 5 test at Green Bay, and this performance gives them reason to believe they can stay competitive even when circumstances change.

Red-zone chaos changed the game

The first half was defined by repeated failures at the goal line, especially from Philadelphia. Chicago came away empty after a drive reached the 1-yard line when a potential Colston Loveland touchdown was overturned on review, D’Andre Swift was stopped for a loss and Keenum’s fourth-down pass was broken up by Quinyon Mitchell. That missed chance did not haunt the Bears because the Eagles followed with an even more damaging sequence.

Philadelphia drove to the 1, saw Jalen Hurts leave briefly for a concussion check after a hard hit, and still could not finish. Saquon Barkley was dropped for a loss, and backup Andy Dalton then threw an interception in the end zone to rookie safety Dillon Thieneman. The Eagles finally converted a frantic late first-half possession when Hurts scored on a last-second sneak, but by then it already felt like too many opportunities had been wasted.

Chicago later answered its own short-yardage frustration when Keenum punched in a 1-yard sneak to extend the lead to 27-7. That sequence captured the difference between the teams: the Bears were sharp when they needed to be, while the Eagles repeatedly stalled in the game’s most important areas.

Philadelphia’s broader concerns are becoming harder to ignore. Hurts managed only 153 passing yards, Barkley rushed for 82 without scoring, and the offense produced just seven points against a defense that had been hit hard two weeks earlier. With games ahead against the Rams and Jaguars, the Eagles suddenly face pressure in a crowded NFC East. Meanwhile, Chicago leaves Monday with momentum, confidence and a game fans will remember simply as the Case Keenum Game.