Eagles look to add to perfect start
by stopping the Bears' rushing attack on Monday night
[September 25, 2026]
By JAY COHEN
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears made a memorable trip to
Philadelphia in November, rushing for 281 yards in an impressive
24-15 victory over the Eagles.
Philadelphia is hoping to return the favor on Monday night, when it
visits Chicago in search of a second straight road win.
“They are one of the better running teams in the league,” Eagles
defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “They’ve got a really great
(offensive line), great backs. Their scheme is good. We’re going to
have to play it a whole lot better.”
It would be difficult to play it any worse than they did in their
matchup last season. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both went over
100 yards rushing as Chicago possessed the ball for almost 40
minutes in its fifth consecutive victory — a streak that helped
propel the Bears to the NFC North title. Philadelphia gained just 87
yards on the ground in the loss.
Swift and Monangai led the way again as Chicago rushed for 291 yards
in this year's season opener at Carolina on Sept. 13. But the Bears'
ground game was held in check during Sunday's 9-3 loss to Minnesota,
finishing with 134 yards on 31 attempts.
Chicago has an uncertain situation at quarterback with Caleb
Williams dealing with a right hamstring injury and Tyson Bagent in
the concussion protocol. But Fangio doesn't think it will have much
of an effect on the Bears' rushing scheme.
“They’re an under-center offense a good bit, so it’s not like it’s a
lot of gun zone-read, QB-generated runs,” Fangio said. “They’re
under center, handing it off. They do a great job of blocking.”
Philadelphia is coming off a dramatic 24-20 victory at Tennessee.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to
Darius Cooper with 9 seconds left.
“It’s a really good team coming in. ... They make it really
difficult for you and it’s sound, both sides of the ball,” Bears
coach Ben Johnson said. “Special teams a good unit as well, so we’ll
have our work cut out for us.”
If Williams and Bagent are unable to play, Case Keenum is expected
to start for Chicago. The 38-year-old Keenum has made 66 starts in
80 career games, but he hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular-season
game since Dec. 24, 2023, for Houston against Cleveland.
“I feel really good,” Keenum said. “There have been some things
every year. I call it a little puzzle of trying to figure out how to
get your body in the best shape that it can. This year worked a
little more on my diet and what I put in, what I fuel it with. Which
is not as fun, it’s just boring, but it does help. So, I feel
great.”
[to top of second column] |
Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (4) runs with the football
as Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson (55) and cornerback
Byron Murphy (7) defend during the second half of an NFL football
game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Need to know
Philadelphia (2-0) at Chicago (1-1).
When/where to watch: Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, ESPN/ABC.
Latest odds: Eagles by 4 1/2.
Against the spread: Eagles 0-2, Bears 1-1.
Last week: Eagles beat the Titans 24-20; Bears lost to the Vikings
9-3.
Last meeting: Bears beat Eagles 24-15 on Nov. 28 in Philadelphia.
Series record: Bears lead 30-17-1.
Matchup to watch
Eagles DT Jordan Davis vs. Bears C Garrett Bradbury. Listed at
6-foot-6 and 336 pounds, the 26-year-old Davis presents a sizeable
challenge for Bradbury and the rest of Chicago's interior offensive
line. The Eagles also have Jalen Carter and Moro Ojomo up front on
defense. Bradbury was acquired in an offseason trade with New
England. He was flagged four times in the loss to the Vikings, two
for holding and two for false starts.
Stats and stuff
— Philadelphia is 2-0 for the fourth time under coach Nick Sirianni.
The Eagles won their first eight games in 2022 and their first five
in 2023. They got off to a 4-0 start last season.
— The Eagles lead the NFL with a .705 (31-13) road winning
percentage since the 2021 season.
— Philadelphia's defense surrendered 295 yards in Week 1 against
Washington and 291 yards in Week 2 against Tennessee. It's the first
time since 1995 that the Eagles held their opponents under 300 total
yards in each of the first two games.
— Bears wide receiver Kalif Raymond leads the team with 13 catches
through two games. He has six third-down receptions that have gone
for first downs.
— Bears tight end Colston Loveland has one catch for 3 yards so far
this year. He had a team-high 58 receptions for 713 yards and six
touchdowns as a rookie last season.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
