The Eagles (2-0) head to Chicago to face the Bears (1-1) on Monday Night Football at Soldier Field.
Here are some key matchups to watch:
Vic Fangio vs. Case Keenum?
The Bears might be down to their third-string quarterback on Monday night. Starter Caleb Williams has a hamstring injury that will likely keep him out and backup Tyson Bagent is in the NFL’s concussion protocol. (Both were listed as non participants to start the week.) The Bears’ third-stringer is 38-year-old Case Keenum, who hasn’t played in a regular season game since 2023.
How are the Eagles handling this week?
“Don’t have enough information yet,” Fangio said. “We’re preparing for Chicago’s offense. I don’t think their offense will change a whole lot schematically, so that’s what we’ll prepare for.”
The last time Keenum played the Eagles was Week 1 of the 2019 season when he started for the Commanders. The Eagles won that game 32-27 but Keenum played well. He completed 30 of 44 passes with 380 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Keenum has also had success against Fangio in his career but we’re talking about games in 2021 and 2017.
Eagles run defense vs. D’Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai
The Eagles faced the Bears in late November last year in Week 13 and it was one of the more disappointing defensive games the Eagles have had since Fangio took over as DC.
The Bears ran all over the Eagles in that one on the way to a 24-15 win. The Bears finished that game with 281 yards and 2 touchdowns on 47 carries. It was the most rushing yards the Eagles had given up in a decade. Both Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift went over 100 yards with a touchdown. Monangai had 22 carries for 130 yards and a touchdown, while Swift had 18 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown.
“We’ve got to play it better, obviously,” Fangio said. “They are one of the better running teams in the league. They’ve got a really great O-line, great backs. Their scheme is good. We’re going to have to play it a whole lot better.”
The Eagles missed 13 tackles in that game a year ago and they can’t afford to get bullied this time around. Missed tackles were also an issue in Week 2 against the Titans so there’s a bit of a fear that it could happen again this weekend in Chicago. The Eagles need to make sure it doesn’t.
The Bears through two games have the NFL’s best rushing offense. They have had a league-high 70 attempts for 425 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Eagles defensive front vs. solid OL
The Eagles have played suspect offensive lines in the first two weeks of the season and their defensive line hasn’t been as dominant as you’d expect. Sure, the Eagles have the fourth-highest pressure rate in the NFL, but they have just three sacks and have the longest time to pressure average in the NFL.
And this week, they’ll face a better offensive line in Chicago. While the Bears’ OL wasn’t dominant against the Vikings in a low-scoring loss last week, it’s still a good unit. Darnell Wright is a former first-round pick who has become an absolute force in the run game and the Bears have two good guards in Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. Braxton Jones has been the starter at left tackle and Theo Benedet has also gotten reps. The Bears are hoping their real starter Ozzy Trapilo can return soon from a knee injury he suffered in the playoffs last year. The Bears’ center is former Viking Garrett Bradbury. He hasn’t been very good.
Saquon Barkley vs. Bears run defense
There wasn’t much offense in general last week in the Bears-Vikings game but Vikings running back Aaron Jones had 23 carries for 105 yards with a long of 20. So he was able to grind out a decent game against that Bears run defense that ranks 23rd in the NFL after two weeks. The Bears have given up 1.84 yards before contact per attempt this year, which ranks as the 7th-worst figure in the NFL. So maybe there will be some room for the Eagles’ running backs.
Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger against the Titans on his first carry of the game. He tried to fight through it last week but was then shut down. But Barkley was back at practice to start this week, which is a good sign for his availability in Week 3.
DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks vs. Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson
The Eagles’ starting duo of DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks has been very good early in this season. Smith looks like a no-doubt WR1 and Wicks has been a great complementary WR2. And they could have an advantageous matchup in Week 3.
Jaylon Johnson has been one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks and was a Pro Bowler in 2023 and 2024. But he was limited to just 7 games in 2025 and isn’t off to a great start in 2026. In fact, here’s a look at the numbers for both of the Bears’ starters through two weeks, per NextGen Stats:
Jaylon Johnson: 11 targets, 8 catches, 168 yards, opposing passer rating of 137.5
Tyrique Stevenson: 9 targets, 5 catches, 107 yards, 2 TDs, opposing passer rating of 114.8
It’s also worth noting that Stevenson is dealing with a hamstring injury and might not even be available for Monday Night Football. He was a DNP to start the week. If Stevenson can’t go, it’ll likely be Malik Muhammad replacing him.
Eagles OL vs. Bears lackluster pass rush
The Eagles’ OL is still obviously a work in progress but the hope is that it continues to get better now that Drew Kendall is at center and Cam Jurgens is at guard. The Eagles aren’t saying publicly if this is how they’re going forward but that is the logical decision. Let these guys learn how to play in their new roles and hope the line can find some stability.
The Bears have 5 sacks but just 19 total pressures through two games. Their pressure rate ranks 29th in the NFL early in this season. Their biggest threat off the edge is former Commanders first-round pick Montez Sweat, who had 10 sacks in 2025. Sweat lines up on both sides of the line but spends more time rushing against right tackles. So Sweat vs. Lane Johnson in this game should be fun.
