Good morning, Bears fans!
What a sports week ahead of us! Bears are front and center on Monday Night Football tonight and then the Blackhawks get underway with games in Vegas and Utah on Tuesday and Thursday night.
And, oh yeah, both baseball teams are kicking off wild card playoff series on the road that will hopefully allow them to come back home for the next round.
The only downside? Don’t plan on getting much sleep. Bears, Cubs and Hawks go late all week long.
Eagles at Bears
Tonight, 7:15 pm
ESPN/ABC 7 - ESPN 1000
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman
Bears +4.5, O/U 41.5
Postgame on Bears By 7 YouTube
Headlines
Caleb Williams timeline: 3-4 weeks The wait officially begins after the Sunday morning reveal from Schefty and Rap. I think QB18 comes back on the earlier end … October 11 against Green Bay would be exactly three weeks from his Grade 2 hamstring strain against the Vikings.
Tyson Bagent clears concussion protocol No injury designation for Bagent heading into tonight’s game, though Case Keenum is expected to start after taking most of last week’s reps.
Lions, Vikings win on Sunday The Lions are 2-1 and Dan Campbell is now 3-0 against his former coordinators after squeaking by Aaron Glenn and the Jets … The Vikings, meanwhile, are somehow 3-0 after Carson Wentz and Kyler Murray to JJ McCarthy’s first three games in 2025.
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Three Questions For Bears-Eagles
The Bears just need to win a football game tonight.
That’s not unlike last Black Friday, when the entire city of Chicago tuned in to see if a team riding a four-game winning streak was for real. They were, and Ben Johnson tore off his shirt to kick off a party that lasted the entire holiday season.
A win on Monday Night Football won’t inspire the same sort of celebration. While last year’s result was about validation, a victory tonight would simply be about survival without the services of their first-string quarterback.
The ingredients can be the same, though. The 24-15 triumph on Black Friday was written with 281 rushing yards including D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both eclipsing 100 yards. The Bears kept the ball away from the Eagles offense, holding possession for almost 40 of the game’s 60 minutes.
The biggest difference could be which team does better with their absences and injuries: The Bears won’t have Caleb Williams while the Eagles will miss TE Dallas Goedert while battling through a litany of early ailments to some of their stars.
Three questions for tonight …
1. Will Case Keenum last the entire game?
The 38-year-old veteran is reportedly getting the start and Johnson won’t ask him to do anything he can’t do. The plan should be simple: Hand off to Swift and Monangai, hit the open guy and don’t screw up. However, it’ll be interesting to see how long Keenum’s leash is if he really looks like an old guy who hasn’t thrown a pass in the regular season since Christmas Eve 2023. Tyson Bagent cleared concussion protocol on Sunday and won’t be far if needed.
2. Can the Bears duplicate their running success from last year?
That will be a tall order. Nearing 300 rushing yards isn’t an everyday occurrence in the NFL, especially against a Vic Fangio-led defense. The Bears also won’t benefit from the threat Caleb poses, though it’d be nice if Keenum can beat a cheating defense over the top for a pass or two. The Eagles defense ranks 24th against the run after two games with 127 yards allowed per game; the Bears win if they can push them lower.
3. How good is this Eagles team?
They’re certainly not the 2024 squad that won it all. But they have to be better than the team that’s 2-0 by a combined six points, right? Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are struggling to stay consistent behind a new offensive coordinator and an offensive line that’s been banged up as much as the Bears’ secondary. It’s also worth wondering what receiver will replace the 132 yards and two touchdowns the since-departed A.J. Brown put up in last year’s game. That said, the defense remains strong behind Zack Baun, Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. They’re no doubt embarrassed about last season’s result and looking to return the favor.
Predictions
Kevin Kaduk: Eagles 23, Bears 16
I picked this game as a loss before the season. While the Eagles haven’t impressed the first two games, I can’t switch to a Bears ‘W’ with QB3 ready to start his first game in almost three years.
Ryan Droste: Eagles 27, Bears 20
I think the Bears will have success running the ball, but I just don’t know what to expect out of the QB position. I would love to be wrong here.
Kacper Rajwa: Bears 20, Eagles 18
If the Bears lose this one, maybe I’ll stop being hopelessly optimistic. Until then, I like the idea of the Bears being the underdog and I will live blissfully ignorant.
Three Standout Stats
Under Pressure: Heading into Week 3, the Eagles ranked third in quarterback pressure rate, just behind the Vikings.
Something’s Gotta Give: The Eagles have the second-highest sack rate allowed in 2026 while facing the blitz at 15 percent. The Bears blitzed the Eagles in last year’s game at the third-highest rate that week, despite recording no sacks.
Don’t Light The Wicks: Eagles WR Dontayvion Wicks has picked up a first down on all seven of his receptions this season. The Bears defense has allowed a league-worst 67.6 percent of receptions that result in first downs.
Researched by Kacper Rajwa
Source: Next Gen Stats
Worth Your Time
• Dan Wiederer and Kevin Fishbain look at memorable starts by Bears backup QBs over the years. (The Athletic)
The 10 Biggest Injuries In Bears History
I ranked and wrote about the 10 most consequential injuries in Bears history (no, Caleb didn’t make it) for Bears By 7 members.
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Extra Point
Couldn’t have said it better myself
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