Let’s not bury the lead: the Chicago Bears might be starting their third-string quarterback on Monday night. Caleb Williams is out with the hamstring injury he suffered against Minnesota. His replacement, Tyson Bagent, is now in the NFL’s concussion protocol after getting slammed to the turf on the final play of Sunday’s loss. If Bagent doesn’t clear in time, it’s Case Keenum — a 38-year-old journeyman who hasn’t started an NFL game since 2023 — under center for a primetime road test against a 2-0 team. That’s about as bad as a quarterback room gets in a three-day span.
Here’s the thing, though: the Eagles have their own mess to sort through. And if Chicago’s defense plays anything like it did against Minnesota, this game might not come down to the quarterback at all.
Eagles’ Own Problems Give Chicago’s Defense a Real Chance to Exploit Them
Philadelphia is 2-0, but that record is hiding some real issues. The offense under new coordinator Sean Mannion has been mediocre at best — 27th in success rate and 24th in first downs per game through two weeks — and it just lost two key pieces. Saquon Barkley is banged up with a shoulder injury after managing four carries for nine yards against Tennessee, and tight end Dallas Goedert is out with a sprained MCL, expected to miss several weeks. The Eagles’ answer was signing 35-year-old Zach Ertz off the street this week, which tells you how thin that tight end room got in a hurry. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are still capable of winning on their own, but this isn’t the same complete offense that opened the season.
That matters, because Philadelphia’s defense is the actual strength here. The Eagles have allowed the league’s sixth-fewest passing yards through two weeks, though they’ve managed just three sacks and zero interceptions — a defense that’s been sound without being disruptive. Against a Bears offense running a third-string quarterback, that’s a matchup Philadelphia should win on paper. Which is exactly why Chicago’s defense has to be the one that shows up.
Bears Defense Rebound Comes at the Right Time for a Battered Offense
Fortunately, it just showed it could. After getting carved up for 37 points in Carolina, Dennis Allen’s unit held the Vikings to three field goals, 246 total yards, and a 3-of-13 mark on third down. Justin Jefferson managed three catches. Rookie safety Dillon Thieneman looked like a keeper. That performance is now the entire blueprint for Week 3 — because with the offense reduced to whoever’s healthy enough to take a snap, the defense isn’t just a complementary piece anymore. It’s the plan.
Why the Defense, Not the Quarterback Room, Decides This Game
If Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo can generate the kind of pressure they found last week, and the secondary keeps playing with the discipline it showed against Jefferson, Chicago can turn this into a low-possession, field-position battle where Philadelphia’s shaky offense has to earn every yard against a banged-up group of its own. That’s a game the Bears can win even if Keenum is out there managing a conservative script. It’s not the game plan anyone wanted heading into a marquee Monday night matchup. But injuries at quarterback don’t automatically mean a loss — not against a Philadelphia offense that’s struggling to find rhythm even with its stars healthy.
The Bears’ season doesn’t hinge on who’s throwing the ball Monday night. It hinges on whether last week’s defense was the real thing or a one-game mirage. Against a team with problems of its own, this is the week to find out.
Bears’ QB Crisis Deepens, But Their Defense Can Still Beat the Eagles