Case Keenum may have been the last name anybody expected to hear while the Bears were carving up the Eagles, but he ended up delivering the kind of postgame praise that sticks. After Chicago’s 27-7 win, the 38-year-old quarterback didn’t hold back when talking about Ben Johnson.
“You want to run through a brick wall for the man. If I get a chance to have that guy in my ear, golly man, he's gonna go down as probably the best play caller, play designer, coach, all of the above when it's all said and done.”
That kind of endorsement carries weight, especially coming from a quarterback who, just two weeks ago, wasn’t exactly a household NFL roster name. Now he’s the guy who guided a beat-up Bears team to a dominant primetime win over one of the NFC’s top teams, and he did it against a Philadelphia defense coached by Vic Fangio with a quarterback who hadn’t thrown a regular-season pass since 2023.
The Bears controlled everything from the opening whistle. Keenum played like a starter, the offense never let go of the wheel, and Johnson’s group turned in a performance that ranked in the top ten in the NFL this week in both EPA per pass and success rate.
For Bears fans, it looked like more than just one big night. Johnson has been squeezing production out of his offense since his Detroit days, and now he has Chicago sitting at 2-1 despite a diminished roster. After 22 games in charge, the case for his rapid rise is already getting loud.
Maybe it’s early to call Johnson one of the greats. But he’s already given Bears fans more reason to believe than they’ve had in a long time, and the beginning of his impact in Chicago is still unfolding.
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Case Keenum was thrust into the spotlight Monday night with Caleb Williams sidelined, and the Bears backed him up with a bold approach that fit the moment. Chicago beat the Eagles on Monday Night Football, and one of the games more talked-about sequences came when the Bears chose to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the three-yard line, a call that immediately drew confusion from Troy Aikman in the booth.
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Bears Secondary Just Got A Rookie Boost It Desperately Needed
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Chicagos defense also had to navigate a brief late-game shakeup when Jalen Hurts was evaluated for a possible concussion, which sent Andy Dalton in for a few downs. For a Bears secondary that can use every bit of young help it can get, Thienemans performance stood out as more than a moment, it was the kind of contribution that can change how a rookie is viewed inside the building. [Read more 🡒]
Troy Aikman Sparks New Bears Debate After Statement Win
With Caleb Williams sidelined by injury, Case Keenum stepped in and helped guide the Bears through one of their biggest test to date, a Monday night win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The game also featured the kind of fourth-down choice that has become increasingly common across the league, as Chicago opted to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the three-yard line instead of settling for points.
Troy Aikmans reaction on the broadcast quickly turned the call into a talking point, with the Hall of Fame quarterback saying he was confused by the decision. The Bears did not convert, but they still stayed in control and finished off the win, leaving the debate to linger over whether the aggressiveness was the right read or simply a sign of how far teams are willing to push the analytics-driven edge. [Read more 🡒]