The Chicago Bears lost a frustrating game to the Vikings last Sunday. Unfortunately, they don’t have much time to dwell on it. They have an equally tough opponent waiting for them on Monday Night Football. The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-0 and cruising through their early schedule. Nothing about them makes them less daunting than they’ve been for the past several years. They’re still talented and well-coached. If the Bears want to avoid a second straight loss, they must play significantly better than they did against Minnesota.
Can the coaching staff get it done despite a serious health situation at quarterback? Let’s look at the matchup and make a prediction for week three.
Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears backstory
These two teams met last year in Philadelphia on Black Friday. It was a brutal experience for the Eagles, who allowed over 280 rushing yards and were defeated 24-15. It was punctuated by Ben Johnson’s shirtless celebration in the locker room. You can bet the Eagles are out for revenge for that humiliation. They have reasons to be confident, too. Philadelphia has won 8 of its last 10 games at Soldier Field. The Bears are reeling from that frustrating loss to Minnesota last week. Who will respond?
Injuries:
TE Dallas Goedert (MCL)
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Losing one of the most versatile tight ends in the league is never a good thing. Goedert not only led the Eagles in touchdown catches this season, but he’s been one of their best run blockers as well. That knee injury knocks him out for a long time, forcing the team to bring back veteran Zach Ertz to plug the hole. He isn’t the same player he was a few years ago, making it more difficult for the Eagles to attack the middle of the field.
QB Caleb Williams (hamstring)
Hardly a shocking choice. Williams is the centerpiece of the Chicago Bears’ offense. He makes so many things happen with his playmaking skills. While the injury he suffered thankfully wasn’t serious, the odds are still good that he will miss this game. That means it falls to either Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum to start this game. Bagent is dealing with a concussion, so it’s looking like the latter. Keenum hasn’t played in a game since 2023.
Key matchups:
OG Cam Jurgens vs. DL Dayo Odeyingbo
Philadelphia’s offensive line has looked vulnerable despite the team’s 2-0 start. The biggest tell has been Jurgens, who’s allowed 3 pressures over two games and has looked subpar in his run blocking. Now he’ll tangle with a suddenly resurgent Odeyingbo, who has 8 pressures and a sack through two games and is doing a lot of it from the interior. The size differential alone is worth noting. Odeyingbo has two inches over the embattled guard.
HB D’Andre Swift vs. LB Zack Baun
Baun has become a central pillar of the Eagles’ defensive success over the past few years. His versatility makes him such a weapon, particularly in coverage. He is usually the one tasked with guarding the opponent’s running backs in space. That means he and Swift will cross paths more than once or twice in this game. Swift is a big threat in the passing game and is no doubt eager to regain his form as a runner after the clunker against Minnesota.
X-factors:
S Dillon Thieneman
Philadelphia has been one of the best deep-throwing teams in the league to start this season, completing 6-of-9 passes of 20 yards or more. You can bet they will be interested in testing the Chicago Bears’ rookie safety with a couple of shots at some point in the game. Thieneman has been targeted 5 times so far this season, allowing 3 completions for 46 total yards. This will be his toughest test to date.
WR Dontayvion Wicks
The injury to Goedert puts a lot more pressure on the Eagles’ wide receivers to pick up the slack in the passing game. Wicks has been a positive revelation with 127 yards through two games. He also has plenty of familiarity with the Bears from his time with Green Bay. They will need him to be at his best in order to take some of the attention away from DeVonta Smith.
Prediction: Eagles win 23-17
This is one of those games that feels like a small handful of key plays’ll determine it. Philadelphia has the momentum. Chicago has home field. This comes down to the quarterback situations. Plain and simple. The Bears can’t expect Keenum or Bagent to have any sort of strong evening against that tough Eagles secondary. Conversely, Hurts should be able to find some opening in a coverage unit that has looked vulnerable since the season began. This will be a tough one to overcome.
