Keenum Leads Bears Past Eagles, 27⁠–⁠7

Third-string quarterback Case Keenum threw two touchdown passes and ran for another as the Chicago Bears beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27⁠–⁠7 on Monday Night Football, 28 September, at Soldier Field in Chicago (ESPN; Reuters / Field Level Media; Chicago Bears). Keenum, starting because Caleb Williams is out with a strained hamstring and backup Tyson Bagent was only cleared from concussion protocol on Sunday, completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards with no interceptions in his first regular-season appearance since December 2023 (Reuters; Chicago Bears; NBC Sports). He hit Luther Burden III for an 8-yard touchdown on the opening drive and Kalif Raymond for a 41-yard score in the third quarter, then scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth (ESPN; Football Database). Cairo Santos added field goals of 29 and 48 yards (ESPN). Chicago's defense forced three takeaways, including a Dillon Thieneman interception of Andy Dalton in the end zone and a T.J. Edwards interception of Jalen Hurts on fourth down; Philadelphia managed 62 yards in the second half and was flagged 10 times (Chicago Bears; Reuters). Both teams are 2⁠–⁠1 (ESPN).

A third-string quarterback is the No. 3 passer on a team’s depth chart, behind the starter and the primary backup. Concussion protocol is the NFL’s step-by-step medical checklist that keeps a player out until doctors clear him to return after a head injury. A field goal is a kick through the uprights worth three points; a touchdown is worth six, usually followed by an extra-point kick. A takeaway is a turnover the defense creates — an interception or a recovered fumble — and an interception is a pass caught by the defense.

ESPN’s scoring summary shows the sequence: Burden’s 8-yard catch made it 7⁠–⁠0 in the first quarter; Santos’s 29-yard kick made it 10⁠–⁠0 late in the second; Hurts scored on a 1-yard run as time expired in the half for 10⁠–⁠7; Santos’s 48-yard kick and Raymond’s 41-yard catch pushed Chicago to 20⁠–⁠7 in the third; Keenum’s 1-yard rush finished it at 27⁠–⁠7 with 7:19 left (ESPN). Football Database lists attendance at Soldier Field as 59,588 and the final quarter scores as Philadelphia 0⁠–⁠7–0⁠–⁠0, Chicago 7⁠–⁠3–10⁠–⁠7 (Football Database).

Keenum went 5 of 6 for 45 yards on the opening 11-play, 66-yard drive, capping it with a shovel pass to Burden, who broke a tackle and scored with help from left tackle Braxton Jones pushing the pile (Chicago Bears; Reuters). Coach Ben Johnson said Keenum “played really efficient football” and called the night “all about Case Keenum” (Chicago Bears). NBC Sports noted it was Keenum’s 67th career start and that he joined Ryan Fitzpatrick as the only quarterbacks to win starts for seven different NFL teams (NBC Sports). Reuters reported the rushing touchdown was Keenum’s first since 2019 (Reuters / Field Level Media).

Philadelphia never led (NBC Sports). On the Eagles’ second possession, Austin Booker’s strip of Tank Bigsby was recovered by Xavier Woods at the Philadelphia 15, but Chicago turned the ball over on downs after a replay ruled Colston Loveland short of the goal line on an apparent touchdown catch (Chicago Bears; Reuters; NBC Sports). The Eagles then drove deep before Hurts left briefly to be evaluated for a concussion; Thieneman, a rookie, intercepted Dalton’s pass in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal from the 2 for his first career pick (Chicago Bears; Reuters; NBC Sports).

After halftime the Bears’ defense forced three straight possessions of three plays and a punt to open the third quarter, then Edwards intercepted Hurts on fourth-and-5 from the Chicago 46 late in the period (Chicago Bears; Reuters). Keenum sealed the win with a 13-play, 58-yard drive ended by his 1-yard plunge; he had drawn defensive tackle Moro Ojomo offside on fourth-and-2 from the Eagles’ 39 to keep the drive alive (Chicago Bears; Reuters). D’Andre Swift rushed 20 times for 84 yards; Raymond caught 6 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown; Burden had 7 catches for 61 yards and a score (ESPN; Football Database; Reuters). Hurts finished 16 of 25 for 153 yards and an interception plus the rushing touchdown; Saquon Barkley had 15 carries for 82 yards; DeVonta Smith caught 6 for 65 (ESPN; Reuters; NBC Sports).

Chicago outgained Philadelphia 375 yards to 248 and had the ball for 36:53 (NBC Sports; Football Database). The win was Chicago’s rebound from a 9⁠–⁠3 loss to Minnesota the previous Sunday (Chicago Bears).