Keenum Steers Bears Past Eagles in Williams' Absence

Keenum Steers Bears Past Eagles in Williams' Absence

Case Keenum completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, and added a rushing score, as the Chicago Bears defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27-7 on Monday night with starting quarterback Caleb Williams sidelined. The 38-year-old, making his first NFL start since 2023, led an offense that controlled the game behind a defense that forced three takeaways.

Keenum entered the season as Chicago's third-string quarterback under head coach Ben Johnson. Called upon with Williams unavailable, he threw touchdown passes to Luther Burden and Kalif Raymond against an Eagles team that arrived in Chicago at 2-0. The win adds to an uneven start to the season for Chicago's offense, which scored 59 points in its opener against Carolina before managing just three in a loss to Minnesota. biathlon bets online ontario

With the victory, Keenum joined Ryan Fitzpatrick as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to start and win games for seven different franchises - in Keenum's case, the Texans, Rams (in St. Louis and Los Angeles), Vikings, Broncos, Commanders, Browns and now the Bears. Philadelphia's offense struggled throughout, with Jalen Hurts completing passes for 153 yards on 25 attempts and Saquon Barkley rushing for 82 yards without reaching the end zone for a third straight game. The first half featured repeated goal-line failures by both teams: a reviewed Colston Loveland score was overturned, a Bears fourth-down pass was broken up at the goal line, and backup quarterback Andy Dalton was intercepted in the end zone by rookie safety Dillon Thieneman after Hurts left briefly for a concussion check. Hurts returned to score on a snap with no time remaining before halftime, while Keenum answered in the second half with a 1-yard touchdown run that put Chicago ahead 27-7.

The result leaves the Eagles tied with the New York Giants atop the NFC East, while Chicago remains competitive in a crowded NFC North race. The Bears host the New York Jets this coming Sunday before a divisional matchup at Green Bay in Week 5. Philadelphia's next two games are at home against the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars.