Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards spent four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before signing with Chicago, so facing his former team on Monday Night Football carried plenty of extra motivation. Late in the third quarter of Chicago’s dominant 27-7 victory at Soldier Field, Edwards tried using his past experience to his advantage by creeping close to Philadelphia’s offensive huddle to see if he could eavesdrop on their play call.
However, the old insider knowledge proved completely useless. When reporter Kevin Fishbain asked Edwards after the game if he managed to decode any familiar terminology while listening in, the veteran linebacker admitted Philadelphia had thoroughly revamped its offensive language.
“No,” Edwards said. “I was like, ‘Maybe I'll hear some familiar stuff,' and like they must have changed language up because I had no idea what they were talking about.” Even without cracking the playbook code, Edwards did not need any secre™2t intel to make the biggest defensive play of the night. On a crucial fourth-and-5 drive past midfield, Edwards read Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts perfectly, jumping the short passing lane to snag a momentum-swinging interception.
It was one of three turnovers forced by a relentless Chicago defense that held Philadelphia to a season-low 248 total yards and a miserable 22% third-down conversion rate. Chicago’s defense set the tone, but 38-year-old backup quarterback Case Keenum provided the offensive fireworks. Filling in for injured starter Caleb Williams, Keenum systematically carved up Philadelphia's defense, finishing 24-of-34 for 247 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and a 1-yard rushing score.
Former Philadelphia running back D'Andre Swift also added 84 rushing yards on 20 carries to wear down the clock in the second half. For Edwards, securing a blowout win over his former squad came down to pure football instincts rather than stolen signals. Philadelphia now sits at 2-1 on the season with plenty of soul-searching ahead, while Chicago celebrated a statement primetime victory.