The Eagles walked into Chicago as road favorites against a third-string quarterback and left with a mess that was hard to explain away. Philadelphia fell 27-7 to Case Keenum and the Bears on Monday night at Soldier Field, with the whole thing airing on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”
Keenum, 38 and making his first start since 2023, looked comfortable all night. He finished 24 of 34 for 247 yards and a 110.8 passer rating, while the Eagles kept shooting themselves in the foot with three turnovers and 10 penalties. That combination turned a game Philadelphia was supposed to control into a lopsided upset.
There were a few bright spots for the Eagles, but not nearly enough to cover the damage. DeVonta Smith delivered one of the night’s best plays with a 30-yard contested catch that helped spark the touchdown drive to close the first half.
Saquon Barkley, back after leaving last week’s game with a stinger, also gave Philadelphia life on the ground. He ran for 82 yards on 15 carries and averaged 5.5 yards per attempt, even if a couple of his longer runs disappeared because of penalties.
After the offense had mostly been stuck in the mud through two games, the run game finally showed some force.
Quinyon Mitchell was another clear bright spot. Chicago tried to scheme around him, but that was a risky plan.
Mitchell broke up a fourth-and-goal pass in the first half and later knocked away a third-and-5 throw in Philadelphia territory. Both plays came on out routes, and both were clean defensive wins.
He was excellent. The rest of the unit, not so much.
That’s where the trouble started for Philadelphia. Marcus Epps had a rough night after already needing to steady his starting job following a shaky Week 2 against the Titans.
He missed two tackles on Chicago’s 66-yard touchdown drive to open the game and later found himself rotating with Michael Carter II. The Eagles’ decision to sign Kenny Moore suddenly looks a lot more understandable.
The problems didn’t stop there. Vic Fangio’s defense never really settled in, with Drew Mukuba and Jihaad Campbell also struggling and the pass rush failing to get enough pressure on Keenum.
The Bears quarterback was able to work through the Eagles with easy throws and open crossers, and Ben Johnson’s play-calling again had Fangio chasing the game. Last year it was Chicago’s run game that bullied Philadelphia on Black Friday.
This time, it was the passing game.
The offensive side had its own ugly moments. Makai Lemon showed some flashes and made a couple of nice catches, but the way Sean Mannion has used him through three weeks has not worked. The side-to-side swing passes have gone nowhere, and the article’s verdict on them was blunt: they should have been retired yesterday.
Then there was Andy Dalton, who entered after Jalen Hurts went into concussion protocol and immediately delivered one of the night’s worst throws. On a third-and-goal from the 2-yard line, Dalton’s lone pass attempt became an interception, a moment that underscored just how bad the Eagles’ QB2 situation looked in the game’s context.
And the final blow came from Nick Sirianni’s decision-making. Trailing by 13 late in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia faced fourth-and-1 at the Bears’ 49-yard line and punted.
Before that, the Eagles tried to draw Chicago offside, took a delay of game penalty, and still chose to kick it away. Down two scores, needing one yard to keep a drive alive, they gave the ball back.
It was, by the numbers and by the moment, a hard call to defend.
In Other News...
Eagles Loss Exposed A Bigger Problem Than One Bad Night
The Eagles 27-7 loss to the Bears on Monday Night Football looked bad on the surface, and the details only made it harder to dismiss. Philadelphia gave away the ball three times, drew 10 penalties and spent much of the night chasing Chicagos passing game, with the Bears finding steady answers through the air. For a team trying to stay on track, it was the kind of performance that turns one rough result into a much bigger conversation.
A few individual efforts still stood out, with DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley providing some of the few bright spots on an otherwise frustrating night. But the struggles of players such as Marcus Epps and Andy Dalton only added to the sense that this was more than an off game, especially for a defense that could not settle in against Case Keenums rhythm. The loss left the Eagles looking for answers in a hurry, because the issues exposed here went well beyond one bad evening. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Hurts Gave Eagles Fans A Major Scare On One Brutal Hit
Jalen Hurts gave Eagles fans a jolt on Monday night when he took a heavy hit from Bears linebacker DMarco Jackson and went down near the sideline during the game in Chicago. The moment briefly shifted the focus away from the scoreboard and onto Philadelphias quarterback, with Hurts heading to the medical tent for a concussion evaluation before the Eagles could fully exhale.
Hurts was eventually cleared and returned to the game, easing the immediate concern for a team that could ill afford to lose its starter in a prime-time matchup. Chicago had already grabbed an early lead on Case Keenums touchdown pass, so the sequence only added to an uneasy start for Philadelphia, which had to keep playing while its most important player was being checked out. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Siriannis Sideline Outburst Started With One Alarming Eagles Moment
The moment that set off Nick Siriannis sideline reaction came in the middle of a rough night for the Eagles on Monday Night Football, when Jalen Hurts took a hit that sent him into a concussion evaluation. Cameras caught Sirianni yelling at Bears linebacker DMarco Jackson in the aftermath, a flashpoint that stood out even more in a lopsided 27-7 loss for Philadelphia.
Sirianni later apologized for his language and said he regretted the way he handled himself, a notable admission from a coach whose sideline intensity has long been part of the package. For the Eagles, the bigger concern remains the health of Hurts and the larger fallout from a game that went sideways quickly, but the sideline scene added another layer to an already frustrating night. [Read more 🡒]