Case Keenum leads the Bears to a 27-7 upset of the favored Eagles

Why we took the points

Let’s be clear: Philly was the favorite, and we were on Philly. The Eagles closed as 3-point road favorites at DraftKings and −185 on the moneyline,¹ Kalshi’s pre-game market had them at 65%,⁶ roughly three of every four spread bets and nearly nine of ten moneyline bets were on them,⁷ and 12 of the 16 staff picks we could count took them to win.⁸ Even SteveWillDoIt was on Eagles −2½ at Red Rock, according to his Instagram story that afternoon.

We just didn’t want to lay the points. It was a Monday night at Soldier Field, the Eagles were on the road, and the Bears had nothing to lose with their third-string quarterback under center. That’s the kind of spot where a favorite either wins ugly or doesn’t win at all, and we thought Chicago could steal it. So instead of Eagles −3, we took the points: Eagles +7.5. Philadelphia could lose by a touchdown and that leg would still cash. Think of it as insurance on a game we liked the Eagles to win.

Keenum, however, had other plans. The Bears didn’t just hang around; they ran away with it, and a 20-point loss blew right through the +7.5.

The other two misses came from the same spot. Philadelphia’s passing game produced 141 net yards, two interceptions and no touchdown passes. Jalen Hurts’ only score came on a 1-yard run at the end of the first half, which is why “Hurts 1+ passing touchdown” missed while “Hurts 15+ rushing yards” hit (25). Dontayvion Wicks caught 2 of his 5 targets, one short of his line, even though his yardage leg cleared at 32.

How the game went

• Why Keenum started. Caleb Williams was out with a hamstring injury, and Tyson Bagent, just cleared from the concussion protocol, was held back. Case Keenum, 38, made his first start since Christmas Eve 2023.²
• A fast start. Chicago’s opening drive ended in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Keenum to rookie Luther Burden III.¹
• The turning point. In the second quarter, a late hit by Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson sent Jalen Hurts to the sideline for a concussion evaluation. With the Eagles knocking on the door, Andy Dalton came in and threw an interception in the end zone to rookie safety Dillon Thieneman, the first of his career. Hurts returned and scored on a 1-yard run as the half ended to make it 10-7, but the drive that should have tied the game was gone, and Philadelphia’s offense never found its rhythm again.³
• A second half that belonged to Chicago. The Eagles managed just 52 net yards after halftime.⁴ Keenum hit Kalif Raymond for 41 yards on a busted coverage, then ran in the last touchdown himself.³
• Records. Keenum became the oldest Bear to score a rushing touchdown and the oldest Bears quarterback to throw for 200 yards in a game.⁵
• A streak nobody wanted. Philadelphia has no takeaways through three games, a franchise first.⁹

Every score

1. Q1 · 8:47Luther Burden III 8 Yd pass from Case Keenum (Cairo Santos Kick) CHI · CHI 7, PHI 0
2. Q2 · 1:52Cairo Santos 29 Yd Field Goal CHI · CHI 10, PHI 0
3. Q2 · 0:00Jalen Hurts 1 Yd Rush (Jake Elliott Kick) PHI · CHI 10, PHI 7
4. Q3 · 10:17Cairo Santos 48 Yd Field Goal CHI · CHI 13, PHI 7
5. Q3 · 5:47Kalif Raymond 41 Yd pass from Case Keenum (Cairo Santos Kick) CHI · CHI 20, PHI 7
6. Q4 · 7:19Case Keenum 1 Yd Rush (Cairo Santos Kick) CHI · CHI 27, PHI 7

Scoring plays from ESPN’s game data.¹