The Case of Revenge

“The Case of Revenge”

January 21, 2018 was a very notable day in NFL playoff history due to the slate of quarterbacks ready to compete for a spot to represent the game at its biggest stage; the Super Bowl. The conference championship rounds brought us the AFC’s Jacksonville Jaguars led by a star defensive unit and Blake Bortles versus the powerhouse and defending champions New England Patriots led by MVP Tom Brady. 

Bortles was not the only quarterback noted on “how did he get here?” status, as the NFC was represented by two guys who came in due to starters being hurt; Philadelphia Eagles’ Nick Foles, a former Pro Bowler turned backup, and a complete journeyman in Case Keenum representing the Minnesota Vikings.

Keenum, having four years of prior NFL experience as a bridge tank commander, was the quarterback many can point to as the true random guy out of the unique four players mentioned. Bortles was a former First Round Pick, Foles was a former Pro Bowler, and Brady’s resume simply speaks for itself. Keenum’s career peaked at this exact day with good momentum off a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but an Eagles 38-0 run sent his revived career to fall back down to earth; until one primetime night against them again brought back all the hype.

After years bouncing as a bridge/backup and not even taking a snap in an NFL game since the 2023 season, Keenum, who joined the Chicago Bears roster in 2025, was sent back as a starter in Week 3’s Monday Night Football game against the familiar Eagles due to injuries to Chicago’s starter Caleb Williams and 2nd stringer Tyson Bagent. Many had doubts on how the now 38 year old Keenum would perform with two years of no experience, and the entire world had no idea the performance he had up his sleeve. 

Last year's Black Friday Bears v Eagles game brought us dominance via the Bears running game and defense with just enough support from the passing game in a game in which the Eagles were favored. This Week 3 matchup brought us the same exact scenario but vice versa; a dominant passing game and defensive output with just enough run game support. 

Case Keenum was phenomenal and did not look like the old guy riding the backup/practice squad position he’s usually in. Keenum was making throws that look straight out of arcade mode on Madden. A 24/34, 247 yard and 3 TD (1 rushing) performance, Keenum had a borderline elite performance with lights surrounding him that he is simply not used to at this stage of his career. 

At first what was thought of as a disgruntled unit, the Bears defense has seemed to slowly move away from their 37 points allowed fiasco in Week 1 against Carolina. Despite losing core members during the offseason and what seems to be an inevitable regression from cornerback Jaylon Johnson, this unit led by a red zone interception from rookie safety Dillon Thieneman and a nice dagger sack from “Motivated” Dayo Odeyingbo, genuinely looked good stopping crucial down plays and seemed to have made Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts look like a shell of himself.

Coaching was great as well for Chicago. After avoiding the quick redzone field goal for a botched 4th down attempt in the first, Chicago’s Ben Johnson let the game flow naturally and allowed Keenum and company to stay comfortable in the pocket and play smart, which is exactly what led to victory. The Bears are usually known for their arcade style of flashy play, and while Keenum had some great throws, the offense relied on smooth playcalling to ease their way into victory over an Eagles team lacking morale.

Philadelphia looked simply out of it and outmatched. Head Coach Nick Sirianni looks to have shown his fans the final straws of his already controversial coaching career with simply bad playcalling and over relying on things that simply were not working. Hurts, even with a rushing touchdown (can we guess what play was run?) looked lost and out of touch with his awareness and overall decision making, as did Philadelphia’s defense.

What was once considered an elite force at offensive line has turned into quite the opposite, and despite moments of pressure, the defense could not stop this Chicago team and has no excuse on why they couldn’t. The Eagles couldn’t beat a guy who hadn’t played a snap of football since Bill Belichick was coaching New England, and a loss like this definitely sets the tone of frustration.

After being held to only 7 points on that 2018 night, a sweet 27-7 victory on Monday against the team who cost him a shot at a Super Bowl appearance must feel nice for a man who started the season off as the 3rd string quarterback on the Bears roster. A win like that for Case Keenum simply starts the true case of revenge.