Black Friday 2025 was a massive turning point for the Chicago Bears. They were a team on the rise with a record of 8-3 following a string of four straight victories. Many complained the Bears had a weak schedule and were a product of other teams blowing games and a lucky turnover margin. They were up for a true test, having to go on the road to ugly Philadelphia to battle with the defending Super Bowl Champs on a short week. “Experts” picked the Birds across the board and Vegas decided the Bears were a 7-point road dawg. They blocked out the noise and absolutely ripped the heart out of Philly winning the game 24-15 (it wasn’t that close) and forcing 2 turnovers. Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift each went for 125+ and a TD on the ground which firmly established the Ben Johnson rushing attack as the league’s best unit.
Flash forward 10 months and the Bears once again face a pivotal moment in their season. After a disgusting Week 2 defeat at the hands of Minnesota, a game that saw superstar QB Caleb Williams suffer a hamstring injury, the Bears entered the game as underdogs once again, this time at home. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent entered concussion protocol after a big hit on the final play of Week 2 which left question marks in the QB room. This set the stage for NFL Veteran and Career Journeyman Case Keenum to be the hero: a title that he has held before.
Keenum with Steffon Diggs following the Minnesota Miracle 2017
Case Keenum has had a whirlwind of a career in football. First establishing himself as the NCAA’s All-Time Leading Passer in both yards and touchdowns at the University of Houston, however, still going undrafted and signing with Houston Texans. He spent a stint as a starter with the Texans before becoming the face of the St. Louis Rams transition to Los Angeles, where he was merely a stop-gap. Following his time with the Rams, he signed a one-year contract as a backup with the Vikings, which would change his legacy forever.
When former No. 1 Overall Pick Sam Bradford went down in just the second game of the 2017 season, Vikings fans began looking to 2018, as they have been heartbroken before. Case Keenum entered for Minnesota and never looked back, leading the Vikings to an 11-3 record and a playoff berth. As the clocked ticked down in the Divisional Round against New Orleans, the Vikings needed nothing short of a Miracle to keep their season alive. The score was 24-23 New Orleans, 10 seconds on the clock, no timeouts, 3rd and 10, Minnesota backed up to their own 39 yard line.
DIGGS, SIDELINE, TOUCHDOWN, UNBELIEVABLE
Joe Buck’s historic call still rings loud in Minneapolis. The game that made Case Keenum an NFL legend with one of the greatest walk-off’s in NFL history.
Fast-forward to September 28th of this year. Case Keenum has since been a member of 5 more NFL clubs, Denver, Cleveland, Buffalo, Washington, and back to Houston. It has been over 1,000 days since he had last seen a football field and his name was finally called. In the bright lights of Monday Night, Case was ready to add another legendary moment to his legacy.
The Bears were rolling early, scoring an opening-drive touchdown for the first time in what feels like an eternity. The offense was in rhythm and moving the ball with efficiency and grace, looking like vintage Case from the pocket. Playing aggressively, as the Bears often do, the game was tight to end the half; just a 3-point lead for Chicago with Philly set to get the ball. In the second half, the Bears separated themselves from whatever chance the Eagles thought they had. After a 13 play, clock-draining drive from the Bears late in the fourth, the 38 year-old Keenum put the cherry on top of another miracle night with a 1-yard, plunging QB dive into the endzone. Ben Johnson and the Bears had faced the adversity, hunkered down, and dominated the Birds at a rambunctious Solider Field.
This is the type of adverse game you go back and look at following a successful season and say, “That was the turning point”. The Bears rallied around their veteran 3rd stringer and locked in.
GOOD: Case Keenum
Case had the game of his late career going 24/34 with 247 yards, 2 TD’s, 1 Rushing TD, 0 INT’s. He lead the Bears offense with poise and likely extended his career by another few seasons with this performance.
BETTER: The Defense
Allowing just 7 points and forcing 3 turnovers, this Bears defense is exceeding all expectations so far. Back-to-back weeks of allowing single digit points and improving on each level. Dillon Thieneman had his first career interception and is shaping up to be everything the Bears wanted and more. Just three games into his career, I would consider him to be an elite run-defending safety in the NFC. I never thought I would see the day in which I was giving Dayo Odeyingbo his flowers, however, he has earned them so far. Dayo is clearly motivated, starting off the season with 11 pressures, 3 QB hits, and 2 sacks including a monumental sack on Jalen Hurts this past Monday Night. The defense is looking to keep the momentum as one of the NFL’s biggest surprises of the season.
BEST: Ben Johnson
There is no better feeling than having one of the NFL’s Best at the helm. Bears fans haven’t been able to say that since letting Lovie Smith go following a 10-6 season almost 15 years ago. Ben Johnson has blessed this city with a high-powered offense, a competent operation, and a confident persona. I truly believe that he is among the NFL’s upper echelon of coaches and would feel confident putting him with names such as Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Andy Reid, etc. He heard the noise this week and he responded the best way possible… domination. In his first career game without a Number 1 pick starting at QB, he showed that he can win with just about anybody. The moxy and confidence that he brings to the city of big shoulders shows me he’ll be here as long as he wants to be.
The Bears look to keep things looking up against the Jets this week. Ben Johnson can lead the boys to their first 3-1 start since 2020 with a win at Soldier Field in Week 4.
Bear Down. Keep Rollin.
VF
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