CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson could have employed a conservative approach. He could have used Case Keenum as a game manager and looked for his defense and special teams to step up.
The thing is, that just isn’t how Johnson operates.
Johnson called plays on Monday night as if he had no idea it was Keenum’s first regular-season start in almost three years. He treated the situation as if it was business as usual, and Keenum directed the Bears to a 27-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
“He’s the best play caller, play designer, game planner I’ve been around,” Keenum said of Johnson. “Really it was fun to do it at this stage of my career where I see the game a lot like him. And that really helps to execute it how he sees it.”
Chicago (2-1) played without Caleb Williams, who is week to week with a right hamstring injury. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent emerged from the NFL’s concussion protocol on Sunday, but the Bears ended up going with Keenum for his first regular-season action since he started for Houston on Dec. 24, 2023.
Johnson displayed his confidence in Keenum right away. The 38-year-old quarterback was 9 for 11 for 69 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter.
“You could tell that he was ready, and he couldn’t wait to get out there,” Johnson said, “but at the same time, under control. And the rest of the unit feeds off of that. They always feed off of the quarterback, and I think his demeanor really radiated there, but he’s always positive, and the guys love that.”
Chicago had a 7-0 lead when it drove to the Philadelphia 1 early in the second quarter. Following a 2-yard loss for D’Andre Swift and an incomplete pass for Keenum, Johnson had a decision to make.
Johnson kept his offense on the field on fourth down instead of sending out Cairo Santos for a short field goal. Keenum threw incomplete, but the gamble was in line with Johnson’s usual aggressive strategy — signaling to his team that his expectations hadn’t changed with Williams out.
“I’m just really proud of the group throughout, because they really don’t bat an eye,” Johnson said. “When things get a little bit sideways, or we go for it on fourth down, and we don’t get it, everyone’s ready to respond the right way, so it’s great to see.”
Keenum passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another TD against the Eagles. It looks as if Williams won’t be ready for Chicago’s next game against the New York Jets, so Johnson will have to decide if he wants to stay with Keenum or put Bagent in the starting lineup.
He wasn’t ready to make an announcement late Monday night.
“We’ll have a discussion as a coaching staff, and we’ll see where we need to go from here,” he said. ”But I said it last week, and I’ll say it again, there was a reason why Tyson ended training camp as our No. 2 quarterback.”
What’s working
Chicago has held back-to-back opponents to fewer than 10 points for the first time since 2012. It’s an impressive turnaround for a defense that yielded 37 points and 478 yards in Week 1 against Carolina.
The Bears forced three turnovers against Philadelphia, including rookie safety Dillon Thieneman’s first career interception. They allowed just 62 yards while shutting out the Eagles in the second half.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards, who also had an interception, said he thought defensive coordinator Dennis Allen called a great game.
“I think every week he’s got some wrinkles in there that are going to show someone a different look but again it’s on us to kind of get him in that third-and-longer so we can get to those things,” Edwards said. “We weren’t able to do that until we got in the second half.”
What needs help
Not much, at least not this week. It was a fairly comprehensive performance by Chicago.
Stock up
Luther Burden had a 7-yard reception on Keenum’s first pass of the game, kicking off a solid night for the second-year receiver. He finished Chicago’s first drive when he kept his legs moving on a shovel pass before he was pushed into the end zone by his teammates for an 8-yard touchdown.
The 22-year-old Burden was targeted a game-high 11 times, and he finished with seven catches for 61 yards.
Stock down
Kyle Monangai rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown in Chicago’s 24-15 win at Philadelphia on Nov. 28. But he was held in check by the Eagles this time around.
Monangai managed just 31 yards on 10 carries. He had 20 attempts for 147 yards and a touchdown over the first two games of the season.
Injuries
Johnson did not provide an update on LT Braxton Jones (knee) and DB Cam Lewis (hip) after the win.
Key number
7 — Keenum has won at least one start with seven NFL franchises. Since starts were first tracked in 1950, Keenum and Ryan Fitzpatrick are the only quarterbacks to accomplish that feat.
Next steps
The Bears host the Jets on Sunday for the first time since 2018. It’s the first meeting between the teams since the Bears lost 31-10 at New York on Nov. 27, 2022.
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Jay Cohen, The Associated Press
