When Caleb Williams went down with a leg injury in Week 2, Chicago Bears fans held their breath. Williams isn't perfect, but he is without a doubt the most talented quarterback the city has seen in decades. Williams was primed to take over in Year 3 after another offseason working with Ben Johnson and making improvements to the few weaknesses in his game.
To make things worse for the Bears, Tyson Bagent also suffered an injury of his own just before Week 3. Because of that, they were forced to rely on a name that fans haven't heard in years: Case Keenum. Given Keenum's age and track record in recent memory, it seemed to be a receipt for disaster for Chicago.
Instead, their Monday Night Football game became a revelation. Keenum turned back the clock and had his best performance in years, helping lead the Bears to a dominant 27-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. If this was an audition for the Bears' temporary starting job, Keenum has earned every right to win that role.
Case Keenum needs to start in Week 4 vs Jets
The most important quality that a backup must have is familiarity with the offense. He likely hasn't any first-team reps in practice before the injury, so his best asset is knowing where people should be in certain plays. It's why veteran quarterbacks who have been in the league since forever win these backup roles: because they have at least a basic knowledge of any scheme the coach wants to run.
That's exactly what Keenum displayed in Week 4 that makes him a worthy temporary starter for the Bears in the following weeks. Keenum has his flaws: he's old, he's not that mobile anymore, and his arm isn't exactly that strong. However, based on how he played in Week 4, he seems to have a good understanding of Johnson's playbook.
Ben Johnson's bread-and-butter offense relies heavily on play-action passing from under center. It's a system that requires a quarterback to turn their head away from the defense and then read the defense after the fake. Younger quarterbacks struggle with this, as fewer and fewer college teams utilize play-action this way. Keenum, on the other hand, knows this like the back of his hand. The Bears quarterback completed 70% of his 34 pass attempts, making great reads and taking risks as needed. Here's what Keenum had to say about Johnson after the game.
“I mean, he is a magician. I mean, he was in his bag tonight, and it was a lot of fun having him in my ear. But man, to share this with this city, with my family here getting to watch me play with cadence, yes, it was so much fun. I'm going to remember this night forever. This is incredible.”
Chicago also gave Keenum adequate run support. Chicago got 127 yards on the ground, with Kyle Monongai and D'Andre Swift combining to give Philly fits. Keenum's veteran wits also gave the Bears a few extra yards: a successful hard count on fourth-and-2 gave the team a free first down. Keenum made sure to make that count, scoring his first rushing touchdown on a quarterback sneak a few plays later.
Above all else, Keenum is the hot hand for the Bears. Bagent is solid, but his play in the past isn't exactly something that inspires a lot of confidence. Keenum's play should warrant him getting another shot against a weaker New York Jets team.