What the Bears are saying about their MNF game against the Eagles
The Bears will likely have to turn to third-string quarterback Case Keenum, who said they will have their “work cut out for us” against the Eagles’ playmakers.
A Monday Night Football showdown against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field is on the horizon for the Eagles.
The Bears will likely be without starting quarterback Caleb Williams, who hasn’t practiced this week after injuring his hamstring late in Chicago’s 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Williams’ backup, Tyson Bagent, is in concussion protocol and also has not practiced this week.
That means the next man up would be 38-year-old Case Keenum, who lost to the Eagles in the 2017 NFC Championship game en route to their first Super Bowl win.
Despite the quarterback uncertainty for Chicago, the Eagles are just slightly favored. Here’s what the Bears have said this week about the matchup:
Defensive line has ‘special players’
A big talking point this week for the Bears has been Eagles defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.
“Up front, those are some of the best two guys up front that are playing the game right now,” Keenum said Wednesday. “I think all over the board you look at playmakers that they have on the defense. So we got our work cut out for us.”
Carter was limited at practice Thursday with a wrist injury he’s been dealing with since the Eagles’ Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders. But if last week was any indication, he should be good to go for Monday.
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Bears offensive lineman Jonah Jackson knows it will take work to rebound from a disappointing offensive performance against the Vikings.
“They got a heck of a group, man,” Jackson said Monday of the Eagles. “They got special players. They got a lot of star power. They also got another [defensive tackle] named Moro Ojomo. They got a lot of good guys up front, and it’s another challenge each week. Every team has their warheads.”
Facing Fangio
A week after putting up just three points against Brian Flores’ elite Vikings defense, the Bears have another challenge ahead in Vic Fangio’s defense, which ranks 10th in yards allowed per game. Fangio served as defensive coordinator in Chicago from 2015-18.
“Coach Fangio is one of the best in the business for a reason,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said Wednesday. “They make it really difficult for you, and it’s sound.”
Keenum hasn’t faced an NFL defense in the regular season since he started for the Houston Texans on Christmas Eve in 2023, but he doesn’t expect to have any rust if he starts on Monday night.
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Keenum is 3-0 against Fangio-led defenses.
“They play tricks on your eyes,” Keenum said Wednesday. “They do a really good job pre- and post-snap, and there’s not a lot of just tells to tell you what coverage it’s going to be in beforehand. So you have to be on your P’s and Q’s because they’ll mix up the pressure and simulate some pressure.”
The Eagles have three sacks and eight tackles for loss this season, and they’ll look to take advantage of an offensive line that’s coming off a poor performance against the Vikings. Former Eagle D’Andre Swift averaged just 2.8 yards per carry last week, but rushed for 124 yards in a Week 1 victory over the Panthers.
Jalen Hurts
The Bears know what Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is capable of, and they’ll likely have to shut him down if they want to give themselves a chance in prime time.
“Obviously, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL,” Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo said Monday. “They play a physical game, so we have to be at our best on defense as a whole.”
The Eagles survived -- again. This time, instead of holding on for dear life as they did in their opener against Washington, the Eagles came from behind in the final minutes to pull out a gutsy win at Tennessee, with their quarterback leading the way. With the Eagles 2-0, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Mike Sielski examine Jalen Hurts’ promising performance through two games, and dig into the uneven play of the defense. Listen here.
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