Bears Fan Confidence Slides Ahead of Monday Night Matchup With Eagles
The short version
- Bears fan confidence fell 20 points to 74% after a 9-3 loss to Minnesota
- Caleb Williams is out injured; Case Keenum is the likely starter, with Tyson Bagent questionable
- Vic Fangio's Eagles defense blitzes 24.2% of the time vs. Brian Flores's 75.9% for Minnesota
- FanDuel lists the Bears as 3.5-point underdogs with a 42.5 over/under
- Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts, both three-time Pro Bowlers, lead the Philadelphia offense
A 9-3 loss to Minnesota and a Caleb Williams injury dropped Chicago fan confidence by 20 points to 74% ahead of Philadelphia's visit.
Fan confidence in the Chicago Bears took a sharp hit this week, falling 20 points to 74% in the latest Reacts poll. The drop follows Chicago's 9-3 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week, a game played in sloppy, wet conditions at Soldier Field that slowed the Bears' offense.
The weather was only part of the problem. Minnesota's defense, coordinated by Brian Flores, blitzed at a high rate and consistently disrupted Chicago's attack. The Bears had opportunities in the game but could not capitalize, and head coach Ben Johnson's group settled for just three points.
The other major factor in the confidence decline is an injury to starting quarterback Caleb Williams. The matchup with the Vikings marked the first game Williams has missed, and Case Keenum is expected to get the start against Philadelphia, though Tyson Bagent is listed as questionable. It is the first time Johnson will call plays for a backup quarterback, as his offenses in Detroit were always led by Jared Goff.
Chicago draws another difficult defensive opponent in Week 4, though the challenge looks different. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio blitzes on just 24.2% of snaps, compared with Flores's 75.9%, relying instead on back-end creativity. Fangio's units frequently line up with two high safeties before rotating to disguise their coverages.
The forecast for Monday night in Chicago is mild, a contrast to the conditions that hampered last week's game. Oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook list the Bears as 3.5-point home underdogs with an over/under of 42.5 points.
Chicago's own defense showed improvement against Minnesota, and the open question is whether that stemmed from the weather, the play of Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz, or genuine schematic progress under coordinator Dennis Allen. The answer will be tested against an Eagles offense featuring two-time Pro Bowl selections at the skill positions.
Philadelphia arrives with three-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley and three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts, presenting a significant challenge for Allen's unit on Monday night.
A separate poll question, posed to a national audience on SB Nation's Feed section rather than Bears fans specifically, drew a notable result: Caleb Williams received 39% of the vote, a figure that invites interpretation about how the young quarterback is viewed league-wide.
The Eagles visit the Bears on Monday, September 28 at Soldier Field, with kickoff set for 8:15 PM EDT. The game airs on ESPN and ABC.
