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ESPN Staff Writer- Courtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Week Ever and GameNight on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.
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ESPN Staff Writer- Tim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine's Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010.
CHICAGO -- Before Monday night, 1,009 days had passed since Case Keenum started a regular-season game. But the Chicago Bears' third-string quarterback, who was pressed into action because of injuries to Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent, showed no rust.
The 38-year-old veteran was 24-of-34 for 247 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on "Monday Night Football."
The Bears' defense also played well, holding Philly to 248 total yards and had three takeaways, including picking off two passes from Jalen Hurts.
Chicago Bears (2-1)
What to make of the QB performance: Keenum walked away with a 4-0 record as a starter against Vic Fangio defenses. The passing game looked terrific Monday night as Keenum routinely made big throws to Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland. Keenum finished 11-of-11 with 145 yards and two touchdowns against the blitz, tied for the fourth-most completions without an incompletion in the 20 years ESPN has been tracking blitzes. He also ran in a 1-yard touchdown, his first since the 2019 season (which was four teams ago). The offense didn't just stay afloat in Williams' absence; it thrived with Keenum taking the reins.
Bears receiver Kalif Raymond, who had six receptions for 90 yards and a TD, said Keenum's pregame message instilled confidence in his teammates.
"He was like, 'I may not be a cowboy, but this is definitely not my first rodeo.' A lot of confidence in him, a lot of confidence in himself," Raymond said. "And to be honest, he practices, preps every week, but particularly this week, we didn't expect anything different from him."
YEAAHHHHH 🫂 pic.twitter.com/yulllrO2yI
— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2026
Stat to know: Dillon Thieneman and T.J. Edwards each intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass, and Austin Booker forced a fumble in the red zone, bringing Chicago's takeaway total to 39 since the start of last season (most in the NFL). This is the Bears' eighth game with at least three takeaways since hiring defensive coordinator Dennis Allen in 2025 (most in the NFL in that span). The Bears are 8-0 in those games.
Trend to watch: The Bears' run game hasn't looked the same since facing the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, when Chicago totaled 291 rushing yards (7.5 yards per attempt) en route to 59 points. Since then, the efficiency has declined with 4.3 yards per rush against Minnesota and 3.7 against the Eagles. Last November behind D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, the Bears' ground game powered a win over the Eagles with 281 rushing yards. Chicago didn't get the help from its run game in Week 3 and still pulled off an impressive win. -- Courtney Cronin
Next game: Sunday vs. New York Jets (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
The assignment was supposed to be easier, facing a third-string quarterback. Instead, the defense got handled in a troubling Eagles performance on both sides of the ball.
The Bears ran roughshod over Philly last November, erupting for 281 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. This time, it was the passing game that hurt the Eagles as Keenum threw for a pair of touchdowns and rushed for another in his first start since 2023.
The Eagles' offense committed three turnovers, including one by Andy Dalton in the first half while Jalen Hurts was being checked for a concussion after a hard sideline hit by linebacker D'Marco Jackson.
Overall, it was a dud of a performance, and the Eagles must face an angry Los Angeles Rams team on short rest.
QB performance: Hurts carried the team to wins against the Commanders and Titans in the first two weeks, but he struggled to find a rhythm against Chicago. He and receiver DeVonta Smith were animated on the sideline after Hurts' third-quarter interception that helped erase any hope of a comeback. Hurts has 15 interceptions on "Monday Night Football," the most since 2020.
Stat to know: The Eagles matched the number of penalties they accumulated over the first two games. A neutral zone infraction on fourth-and-short kept a Chicago drive going and led to a touchdown that sealed the win.
Trend to watch: The Eagles' defense has been unusually leaky through three weeks, particularly over the middle, putting the spotlight on the linebacker and safety play. Zack Baun, considered one of the best linebackers in the league, had a rough night, allowing five catches for 86 yards and a touchdown on six targets, per NextGen Stats. -- Tim McManus
Next game: Sunday vs. Los Angeles Rams (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
