QB3 Case Keenum, Bears defense shock Eagles in MNF rout

CHICAGO -- Prior to 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 by 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 its best game of the season after giving up over 1,000 yards in the first two games of the season. It held Philly to 248 total yards and had three takeaways, including two interceptions of 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 under his operation as he routinely made big throws to Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland. He finished 11-of-11 with 145 yards and 2 TD 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 Caleb Williams' absence; it thrived with QB3 taking the reins.

Stat to know: Dillon Thieneman and T.J. Edwards each intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass while 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 3+ takeaways since hiring defensive coordinator Dennis Allen in 2025 (most in 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 Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers 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 2.7 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 managed to pull off an impressive win. -- Courtney Cronin

Next game: Oct. 4 vs. New York Jets (1 p.m. ET, Fox)

Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)

The assignment was supposed to be easier facing the 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 QB who did the Eagles in as Keenum threw for a pair of touchdowns and rushed for another in his first start since 2023.

The offense committed three turnovers, including one by Andy Dalton in the first half as Jalen Hurts was being checked for a concussion following 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 over the first two weeks against the Commanders and Titans but struggled to find a rhythm against Chicago. He and receiver DeVonta Smith were both animated on the sideline following Hurts' third-quarter interception that helped erase any hope of a comeback. Hurts now has 15 interceptions on Monday Night Football, the most since 2020.

Stat to know: The Eagles matched the number of penalties they had over the first two games total. A neutral zone infraction on 4th-and-short kept a Chicago drive going and led to a touchdown that put the game away.

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