The Chicago Bears are in a strange spot as they face the Philadelphia Eagles in their Week 3 showdown on Monday Night Football.
With Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent most likely missing the game, Case Keenum would be the next man up at quarterback for the Bears. This offense could look very different with Keenum starting, but head coach Ben Johnson will still try to keep the balanced-attack identity the same.
Eight bold pregame predictions are worth mentioning and could happen. Here are a few to watch for during the Bears-Eagles game.
Bold predictions for the Bears-Eagles Week 3 showdown
Bears get over 200 rushing yards on Eagles' defense
As long as D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai are in the same backfield, this Bears rushing attack will be special. They already had two games in two years where they each ran for over 100 yards in the same contest. One of those was against the Eagles, so could it happen again? Getting 200 yards is more than possible.
Bears' secondary surrenders over 300 passing yards from Jalen Hurts
Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson have allowed 100+ passer rating points this season, so they have been as bad in coverage as Bears fans have seen in a long time. The Eagles' wide receiver room is deep, with DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks as the top guys. Chicago might be giving up a lot of yards in this game.
Malik Muhammad records his second interception on the season
Jalen Hurts proved last week that he is prone to throwing some bad picks, as he has two in the Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans. Muhammad already has one this season and could add another. He's been great in coverage this season, allowing a 28.5 passer rating so that he could do it again.
Dillon Thieneman leads the Bears in tackles (again)
Thieneman already leads the team in tackles with 17. He plays in the box and has to help so much in coverage, so it makes sense that he'll likely lead the team in that category again.
Saquon Barkley doesn't even hit 50 rushing yards on Bears' defense
Barkley is entering the game with a stinger and isn't 100% healthy. Philly's offensive line is a mess, with the interior line changed up and struggling. The Bears should be able to hold Barkley in check during this game.
Case Keenum throws the ball 30 or more times against the Eagles
It feels like the Bears will find themselves down in this game and will have to have Keenum sling the ball around. Johnson doesn't want to change the offense too much with his veteran out there. Chicago should still throw plenty of passes in this game, but that doesn't mean it will lead to success.
Bears sack Jalen Hurts at least three times
The Eagles' offensive line is banged up and not in good shape since starting left guard Landon Dickerson's injury. Their starting center, Cam Jurgens, is at left guard, and Drew Kendall is set to make his third career start and his second at center. This could be a game where guys like Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo, James Lynch, and more could dominate at defensive tackle and create some sacks.
Read more: 5 Eagles players the Bears cannot overlook going into Week 3 showdown
Cole Kmet gets more receptions than Colston Loveland does
Loveland has one catch on five targets through two games, so the Bears are struggling to get him the ball. Watch for Kmet to be more involved than Loveland, since the Eagles will blanket the second-year tight end. Still, the tight ends overall could be in for a long night against this Eagles defense.
Add us as a preferred source on Google