It's a huge sports week in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs are kicking off playoff series, while the Chicago Blackhawks are set to begin their season. Before all of it, the Chicago Bears made a statement with a 27-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on Monday Night Football.
The Bears were without starter Caleb Williams, who injured his hamstring in a Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. All week, it was a talking point surrounding the Bears in preparation for this game. At first, second-string quarterback Tyson Bagent was out because of a concussion, but he was cleared on Friday. Still, Ben Johnson went with the third-string veteran, Case Keenum, because he was at practice when they did their install.
It turned out to be a glorious decision, as Keenum led the Bears to commanding win over the previously undefeated Eagles. It was one of the most spectacular backup quarterback performances in the history of the Bears.
Keenum made a couple of good throws, but he knew exactly what he needed to do in order for Chicago's offense to carve up Philadelphia's defense. From the opening drive onward, it was a very good offensive operation from everyone involved.
Keenum had help from all of his receivers, his backs ran the ball flawlessly, and his offensive line was magnificent. They all looked as confident in winning the game as they would have been had Williams been the starter. If they have to use Keenum again in Week 4, there won't be nearly as much concern coming in when it comes to the starting quarterback.
Both Keenum and Bagent have Ben Johnson calling plays with a great offensive line in front of them. As long as they execute game plans and make their throws when necessary, they can beat anybody because of the infrastructure.
Keenum finished with 24 completions on 34 attempts, 247 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also ended with a 110.8 quarterback rating, which is impeccable, especially in his situation.
As mentioned before, every player on the offense played a strong role in the win. One player who stood out, however, is Kalif Raymond. He had six receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Luther Burden and Rome Odunze had fine games (even with Odunze's dropped touchdown), but it was Raymond who stole the show once again in the passing game. In a Ben Johnson offense, you need a deep receiving core, and that's what the Bears have.
It wasn't all on Chicago's offense, either. The defense gave up just seven points to Jalen Hurts and the Eagles' offense. It was a dominant performance that had big stops, interceptions, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries. Clearly, Dennis Allen has them schemed in such a way that they can create turnovers.
Even when Saquon Barkley started to find his rhythm, something would happen in favor of Chicago's defense that allowed them to stop that momentum. Because of that, they allowed Keenum to run his offense without worrying that the defense would let him down.
The main takeaway from this game is that the Bears can beat anybody no matter what the situation is. They have such a strong coaching staff in every area, and everyone is always ready for what's in front of them. It would have been very easy to let the season slip away after the Week 2 disaster, but that wasn't an option for this group.
Now, at 2-1, the Bears will face the New York Jets, who have already given many teams fits this season. That includes a victory over the Green Bay Packers. Regardless of who is under center, you know from this game that the team will be ready.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Instant analysis of Bears' dominant prime-time win vs. Eagles
