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Bear Digest

Case Keenum Clears Away Cobwebs and the Eagles in 27-7 Bears Win

Analysis: After sitting out since 2023, the Bears' third-string quarterback led a dominant performance in Chicago's 27-7 victory over Philadelphia.
Gene Chamberlain|
Case Keenum looks for a receiver near the goal line Monday night in the first half against the Eagles.
Case Keenum looks for a receiver near the goal line Monday night in the first half against the Eagles. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bears found someone almost as cool under pressure as the Iceman.

It's not even their coach, who does seem to be frozen with his finger stuck on the go-for-it button when field goals are necessary evils.

This is probably a bit simplistic but the performance Monday night by veteran quarterback Case Keenum went far beyond what teams can expect from a third-stringer, one 38 years old no less.

Keenum didn't make the big mistakes, delivered the passes when Ben Johnson wanted to see them come out and threw for 247 yards on 24 of 34 with two TDs as the Bears won Monday night over the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-7. He had a 123.5 passer rating in the first quarter, 107.0 by halftime.

It was enough to hope maybe injured Caleb Williams was watching and taking notes. Maybe he was even panicking because someone who was not only not the first overall draft pick but not a draft pick at all was operating Ben Johnson's offense effectively and getting the ball out on time.

Keenum even showed mastery of the cadence like a starter, pulling Moro Ojomo offsides on a crucial fourth-and-2 in the fourth quarter.

He even, gasp, completed passes to Colston Loveland.

Johnson might have had the game plan and manipulated everything, but Keenum actually did it and it was enough so they have a difficult decision to make about Sunday against the Jets.

Should the third-string QB get another start or will backup Tyson Bagent start now that he is past his concussion and able to practice with the first team during the week?

Do the Bears now have a backup quarterback controversy? Not really. It would seem less than prudent to let the depth chart get in the way of productivity.

Keenum did what he did without a running game for two-and-a-half quarters and despite some dumb decision-making near the goal line.

The Eagles remembered well how the Bears ran all over them in Philadelphia last year and also saw how the Vikings shut down Johnson's fabled running attack. They plugged this up and left it to the 38-year-old QB to try and beat them. He did.

In the first half, he did enough but could have had three more. The Bears got inside the 15 three times without scoring against Minnesota in Week 2, and then in Week 3 Monday night, Johnson decided against a fourth-and-3 field goal try at the 3.

Keenum was good, but not so good the Bears needed to give away points. And the pass on fourth down was incomplete and needless.

As it happened, Keenum didn't require the rushing yards or better coaching decisions. He directed a drive to a field goal in the third quarter and threw a 41-yard TD pass to wide open Kalif Raymond for a 20-7 lead. Johnson was better scheming up wide open passes than at deciding whether to go for first downs.

Then he led a 13-play, 58-yard drive to score himself on a 1-yard, third-down sneak. It took 8:04 off the clock and locked it up. No sense waiting until fourth down to let Johnson make another poor decision. The 38-year-old's legs didn't fail him, and he didn't even need a silly Eagles style tush push to do it. It was a good, old-fashioned Bill Wade-style QB sneak.

Imagine what Keenum could have done with an actual running game in his hip pocket for the full game.

Before the game, the prevailing hope by Bears fans had to be the team could get Williams back by the game with Green Bay or even Atlanta. The sooner, the better.

Now, they might just be able to take their time and make sure their starter is fully healed. They're in good hands with their old man.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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