The first prime-time Chicago Bears game of the season has arrived, and it's one that is going to look much different than everyone anticipated. The Bears (1-1) enter Week 3 set to welcome the Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) to town on Monday Night Football.
Chicago experienced the highest of highs to start the year and is now coming off the lowest of lows in Week 2. The Bears fell to the Minnesota Vikings 9-3 in the pouring rain and saw quarterback Caleb Williams suffer a hamstring injury that could keep him out a couple of weeks. Even though the injury is less severe than initially feared, it still likely means the Bears need to turn to their backup quarterback. It remains to be seen which one, however.
Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent missed much of
the week while in concussion protocol but took a step on Saturday and returned to practice. In his absence, journeyman Case Keenum has been getting the majority of the reps and could be in line to start.
Meanwhile, the Eagles are off to an undefeated start while scoring exactly 24 points each week. The reigning NFC East champions took care of business in Nashville, narrowly defeating the Tennessee Titans 24-20 behind quarterback Jalen Hurts and the passing offense. Like the Bears, the Eagles have injury questions that could impact their game plan on Monday night on both sides of the ball.
It has already been a chaotic week leading up to the game, which could make Monday's matchup one for the ages. Here are our bold predictions ahead of Bears vs. Eagles.
1. Case Keenum starts and becomes the oldest Bears QB to throw a TD
While Bagent is making progress with his concussion, I still don't expect him to start whether he's cleared or not. He missed much of the week, and Keenum is more than capable of starting this game. The Bears wind up naming Keenum the starter, and he'll go on to have an adequate game.
It would be a shock to see him throw for 250 yards or anything. Ironically, the last time that happened was against the Bears in 2019 when he was with the (then) Washington Redskins. I do expect Keenum to get at least one touchdown, which would make him the oldest Bears quarterback to ever throw a touchdown pass in a game. With the threat of the run game, Keenum will deliver a play-action pass for a short score.
2. D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combine for 200 rushing yards
The last time these two teams met, D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai ran all over them on their home turf. Literally. The two Bears' backs combined for 255 yards on the ground with two touchdowns to propel them to a 24-15 win. It was an excellent game plan by head coach Ben Johnson, and the Bears have the personnel to do it again.
With a backup quarterback in place, Johnson will need to lean on the ground game, and fortunately Swift and Monangai are arguably the best backfield duo in the league. They already ran over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 and may have had more success in Week 2 against the Vikings had it not been for the awful weather. The Eagles' run defense is below average at best, ranking 27th in defensive rush EPA. The Bears can and will have a lethal run game against their front.
3. Sam Roush catches his first career touchdown
You would probably expect rookie tight end Sam Roush to see nothing but the end of the bench after his performance on Sunday. Roush struggled with drops, penalties, and special teams coverage as well. He became a pariah for Bears fans, and nobody is really excited to have him see the field again anytime soon. Keenum probably is, though.
Keenum and Roush had an excellent connection throughout training camp,both in practice and the preseason. And unlike the other receivers the veteran quarterback had been working with, Roush actually sees game action in the regular season. Roush will get his redemption on Monday and connect with Keenum for a score.
4. Bears get at least 4 sacks
The Eagles offense is still searching for its identity early on with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. The running game has yet to fully get going, and though Hurts has been solid through the air, there is still a glaring weakness that could doom Philadelphia's production: The offensive line.
Hurts has been sacked six times through two games behind a shuffled offensive line following the injury to Landon Dickerson. The Eagles moved Cam Jurgens to guard and brought in Drew Kendall at center, effectively weakening two positions. Chicago's pass rush still hasn't gotten much going, but there's reason for optimism they show out on Monday. They had effectiveness when moving Dayo Odeyingbo inside with Austin Booker and Montez Sweat at the edge positions, and Dennis Allen is getting more comfortable bringing rookies such as Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad down to blitz.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 4 bold predictions for Bears vs. Eagles
