The Chicago Bears aren't just 2-1 after Monday night's convincing win over the Philadelphia Eagles. They're back on the upswing in national NFL power rankings, too.
The Bears climbed to No. 9 in The Athletic's latest rankings, a three-spot jump from No. 12 last week.
Chicago's rise comes after its dominant 27-7 victory over Philadelphia at Soldier Field, when the Bears improved to 2-1 despite playing without starting quarterback Caleb Williams.
And Case Keenum's performance was a big reason The Athletic moved Chicago into the top 10.
Case Keenum changes outlook during Caleb Williams' absence
The Athletic jokingly summarized its confidence in Chicago's quarterback situation with: "Who needs Caleb, anyway?"
Sure, it's just a joke. But let's not jinx Iceman, shall we?
That said, Monday night showed the Bears may not need to rush him back.
Making his first regular-season appearance since 2023, Keenum completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak and finished with a 110.8 passer rating.
Most importantly, Keenum didn't turn the football over.
Chicago controlled the game for nearly 37 minutes, forced three Eagles turnovers, and handed the previously unbeaten Eagles their first loss of the season.
Bears suddenly look much deeper than they did a week ago
Williams is expected to remain sidelined for a few more weeks, but Monday night's performance showed that the Bears can survive his absence.
That's the biggest takeaway from Chicago's momentum-building win.
A week ago, the Bears were coming off an ugly 9-3 loss to Minnesota and facing uncertainty at quarterback. Seven days later, the Bears have beaten one of the NFC's better teams by 20 points with their third-string quarterback.
Keenum played well; the defense forced three turnovers; Luther Burden III and Kalif Raymond both scored touchdowns; and Chicago's offensive line protected Keenum well enough for the veteran to operate consistently from the pocket.
It looked like a complete roster and a complete team win rather than a squad that's entirely dependent on its franchise quarterback.
Bears have a chance to keep climbing NFL Power Rankings
Chicago hosts the New York Jets in Week 4 at Soldier Field. Williams' availability remains something to watch, and the Bears will have to determine whether Keenum or Tyson Bagent starts if Williams isn't ready.
But Chicago enters Week 4 in a much different position than it was after the Minnesota loss.
The Bears are 2-1, and they just dismantled an undefeated Eagles team on national television.
One week can change quite a bit in the NFL.
BearsTalk Analytics2026 season
How the players in this story are grading
55.6Caleb Williams. BTX grade 55.6 out of 100, rank 17 among 39 qualified quarterbacks.
82.9Kalif Raymond. BTX grade 82.9 out of 100, rank 5 among 120 qualified wide receivers.
41.6Luther Burden III. BTX grade 41.6 out of 100, rank 65 among 120 qualified wide receivers.
Comments
Join the Conversation
Sign up to comment on this story
Create a free BearsTalk account to comment, earn points, and join the community.
Loading comments…
