It was a missed opportunity for the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Third-string quarterback Case Keenum sliced and diced the Eagles defense to hand Philadelphia its first loss of the year. Here were some key takeaways:
Eagles pass rush still non-existent
The game started out with Philadelphia’s defense on their heels, which was not a good sign. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought Caleb Williams was guiding the Bears offense, not third stringer Case Keenum.
Bears playcaller Ben Johnson mixed the run with the pass and Philadelphia surrendered a touchdown on the opening drive to fall behind 7-0. This trend continued for much of the game as Keenum was hardly pressured. The Eagles defense also has yet to record a takeaway through three games.
Silly penalties
Philadelphia’s inconsistent defense allowed Chicago’s offense to extend drives in the fourth quarter. An offsides penalty on fourth-and-2 and a third-and-goal penalty on defensive back Andrew Mukuba helped Chicago get in the end zone to extend the lead to 27-7. There were more penalties Monday night than in Philadelphia’s first two games combined.
Offense missing in action in the second half
Jalen Hurts had a solid first half of play, as did the Eagles rushing attack. Saquon Barkley ripped off a handful of big gains. The Eagles appeared to be in good shape at the half following Hurts’ Tush Push touchdown as time expired. It was 10-7 in favor of Chicago at the break.
The Eagles offense went into hibernation mode in the second half and the Bears looked like a sure-tackling defensive unit that forced multiple three-and-outs in the third period.
Concussion protocol ruins flow of the game
Though it did not affect the outcome of the game, it was a noticeable misfire for the NFL. Hurts showed his toughness by bouncing up on his feet after taking a big second quarter hit out of bounds that was a penalty on Chicago. However, he was forced to leave the game because of the NFL’s “player’s safety” initiative.
The NFL has no problem adding games to the schedule and playing games without a full week of rest, but allowing a player to continue playing after a big hit is apparently a bridge too far. Forcing a starting quarterback out of the game that he did not want to leave was a bad look for the league.
Hurts’ unnecessary exit ruined the drive and backup quarterback Andy Dalton threw an interception. The argument can also be made that Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni should have called a timeout to buy some time for Hurts to get back in the game.
