Keenum stars as Bears rout Eagles 27-7 on Monday night
Case Keenum waited almost three years for another start. The 38-year-old made it count Monday night, throwing for two touchdowns to lead the Chicago Bears past the Philadelphia Eagles 27-7 at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Chicago turned to Keenum with starter Caleb Williams sidelined by a right hamstring injury. Keenum completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards, steady from the opening series to the final kneel-down, according to The Guardian.
His first touchdown was crafty. Keenum flipped an eight-yard shovel pass, a quick underhand toss behind the line, to Luther Burden for the score. His second was pure air, a 41-yard strike to Kalif Raymond, who finished with six catches for 90 yards and that touchdown.
Keenum saved a little something for the finish. He scored on a one-yard run with 7:19 left, his first rushing touchdown since 2019. It capped a 13-play drive that chewed more than eight minutes off the clock and shut the door on any comeback.
It was a throwback night in more ways than one. The Bears are Keenum's eighth NFL franchise, and he is in his 14th season in the league. His last action as a starter came for Houston in a 36-22 loss to Cleveland on Christmas Eve in 2023, and Tyson Bagent backed him up Monday after clearing the NFL concussion protocol on Sunday.
The win moved Chicago to 2-1. It was a quick rebound from a 9-3 loss to Minnesota in Week 2, and the Bears closed as 1.5-point favorites for the September 28 game at Soldier Field, which kicked off at 5:15 p.m. local time, per ESPN.
Philadelphia also fell to 2-1, but the night was messy. The Eagles turned the ball over three times and failed to record a takeaway for the third straight game. Jalen Hurts finished 16 of 25 for 153 yards with an interception, while Saquon Barkley ran for 82 yards on 15 carries.
Hurts had a scare in the first half. He was pulled to be checked for a concussion after a late hit by D'Marco Jackson, and backup Andy Dalton was intercepted by Dillon Thieneman in the end zone. Hurts returned and scored on a quarterback sneak, a short plunge straight ahead behind his line, as time expired in the first half.
What makes this stand out is how simple Chicago kept it. No tricks. Protect the backup, finish drives, let the defense eat. For one Monday night, the oldest guy on the field looked right at home.
