The Chicago Bears shocked the NFL world by blowing out the Philadelphia Eagles 27-7 on Monday night football.
Case Keenum was the star of the game for the Bears in his first start in three years, as the running attack struggled throughout the game. Keenum got it done with his arm and led an impressive win.
There are multiple takaways from the blowout win for the Bears. Here are some initial ones.
Initial reactions to Bears' Week 3 showdown against the Eagles
Case Keenum looks like...a great quarterback?
Nobody would have thought Keenum would come out firing against the Eagles, but he did, completing 15-of-21 for 149 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He finished with 24-of-34 for 247 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Keenum has made it clear he may be the backup, and a new quarterback controversy has opened up.
What took the Bears' running game so long to get going?
27 rushing yards in the first half and 128 yards for the whole game. All the talk about Kyle Monangai and D'Andre Swift having their way with the Eagles definitely didn't show until the second half, when the game was out of reach. Keenum carried the Bears' offense, not the rushing attack.
Jaylon Johnson continues to struggle at corner
DeVonta Smith had his way with Johnson for most of the night, so it was not a good one for him. Multiple times, Smith either blocked out or Mossed Johnson on jump balls. At some point, they needed to talk about him and whether the Bears should move on, because he wasn't getting it done.
Luther Burden III shined in a great game for him
It was good to see Burden finally start making some plays for the Bears in the passing game as one of the leading receivers. He caught seven passes for 61 yards and scored a first-half touchdown. The Bears need to get him upfield more often.
Kalif Raymond is just better at WR, though
Raymond entered the game as the Bears' leading receiver, shockingly, and left with that title still. He finished with six receptions for 90 yards and a 41-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. No one knew Raymond would actually be an upgrade over DJ Moore.
Dillon Thieneman is a playmaker
Throughout the first two weeks, Thieneman was a tackling machine on this defense, whether in run support or back in coverage. This week, he made a critical interception in the end zone when the Eagles were driving inside the five-yard line. Chicago has something special in Thieneman.
T.J. Edwards continues to be a beast in coverage
Edwards isn't getting nearly as many tackles as he did in previous years, but the last two weeks have really shown his ability to help in coverage. He had three big pass deflections, including one that should have been picked off, and then actually got an interception near the end of the third quarter. Bears fans wished he would get more tackles, but that's okay since he is making plays in other ways.
Read more: Bears Week 3 inactives: Caleb Williams officially out for Eagles MNF game
Ben Johnson put together a perfect game plan
Sure, Johnson was a bit aggressive with fourth-down calls at times in the first half, but wow, the fourth-down calls he put together were as good as anyone could manage under the circumstances of having a third-string quarterback. Nearly 400 yards of offense and zero turnovers? Johnson deserves his credit for a great game he coached.
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