Eagles seek those responsible for humiliating defeat suffered at the hands of the Bears

There was no single moment that doomed the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field. Their first loss of the season was built piece by piece, through turnovers, penalties, defensive breakdowns and a handful of decisions that made an already difficult night even worse.

Chicago entered Monday night without starting quarterback Caleb Williams , leaving 38-year-old Case Keenum to make his first NFL start since 2023. That should have presented Philadelphia with an obvious opportunity to dictate the game.

Instead, Keenum looked composed from the outset, completing 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns as Chicago moved the ball with surprising ease. Philadelphia , meanwhile, repeatedly sabotaged itself with three turnovers and 10 penalties in a 27-7 defeat.

The Eagles weren't simply beaten by an inspired backup quarterback. They gave Chicago opportunities and failed to respond when the game began slipping away.

Defense gave Keenum far too much comfort

The warning signs appeared on Chicago’s opening touchdown drive, when safety Marcus Epps missed two tackles as the Bears marched 66 yards.

Epps had already been under scrutiny after a difficult Week 2 performance against Tennessee, and his role appeared increasingly uncertain as Michael Carter II rotated into the secondary.

The problems went beyond one player. Drew Mukuba and Jihaad Campbell also struggled, while Philadelphia’s pass rush failed to consistently disturb Keenum in the pocket.

That inevitably puts defensive coordinator Vic Fangio under scrutiny. Bears head coach Ben Johnson repeatedly created space across the middle of the field, allowing Keenum to find open targets without needing to make particularly difficult throws.

Chicago’s approach was efficient rather than spectacular, but Philadelphia never found a convincing answer.

Quinyon Mitchell was the notable exception. The All-Pro cornerback broke up a fourth-and-goal pass in the first half and later denied Chicago again on third down, producing one of the few consistently strong defensive performances of the night.

Sirianni’s late punt becomes defining decision

Philadelphia still had opportunities to make the final stages uncomfortable for Chicago, which made Nick Sirianni ’s fourth-quarter decision particularly difficult to understand.

Trailing by 13 points, the Eagles faced fourth-and-1 at the Bears ’ 49-yard line. Philadelphia initially attempted to draw Chicago offside, took a delay-of-game penalty and then punted.

It was an extraordinarily cautious choice for a team needing two scores and running out of possessions.

The offense had already squandered enough chances. Andy Dalton entered when Jalen Hurts was evaluated for a concussion and threw an interception on his only passing attempt, turning the ball over near the goal line.

Saquon Barkley was one of the few offensive players who consistently threatened Chicago, rushing 15 times for 82 yards. Several additional gains were erased by penalties, adding to the sense that Philadelphia repeatedly got in its own way.

DeVonta Smith also provided a rare highlight with a superb 30-yard contested reception that helped set up Philadelphia’s only touchdown before halftime.

Rookie Makai Lemon flashed his ability on a couple of receptions, although the Eagles’ insistence on using him on short horizontal throws continues to limit his impact.

Philadelphia entered the night as the more settled team facing a third-string quarterback. By the end, Keenum had been the calmer player, Chicago had been the sharper team and the Eagles had produced a defeat in which the blame was spread almost everywhere.