The Eagles are 2-0, but I have a hard time looking at Monday night’s trip to Chicago without thinking about what happened the last time these teams played. The Bears ran all over Philadelphia on Black Friday. I was at that game, and it was brutal. The Birds lost and gave up more than 280 yards on the ground. Bear QB Caleb Williams will be out, but that does not make this a simple game for The Birds, who have look a bit rocky in two early season wins.

Here are the seven things I’ll be watching tonight.

Can the Eagles stop a rushing attack that beat them up last year?

Last November, the Bears beat the Eagles 24-15 and rushed for 281 yards. D’Andre Swift had 125 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while Kyle Monangai added 130 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Chicago ran the ball 47 times, held possession for 39:18, and made Philadelphia’s offense spend most of the afternoon watching from the sideline. I was at the game, and it was so hard to watch. Swift and Monangai became the first Bears teammates to each rush for 100 yards in a game since Walter Payton and Matt Suhey in 1985.

Swift’s huge role in that game stung a little more because he is a Philadelphia native who played at St. Joseph’s Prep. Plus, he rushed for 1,049 yards and made the Pro Bowl during his season with his hometown Eagles in 2023.

Through two games this season, Swift has 169 yards and three rushing touchdowns, and Monangai has 147 yards on just 20 carries. Chicago has rushed for 425 yards at 6.1 yards per carry as a team. Caleb Williams accounts for 107 of those yards and will be missing tonight, but the production from the two running backs should be enough to keep Vic Fangio’s attention. The Bears’ offensive line is helping them, too: PFF ranks the unit fifth entering Week 3 and has right guard Jonah Jackson and right tackle Darnell Wright among its four highest-graded linemen in the league so far. That is a big challenge for the Eagles front 7 who didn’t look great last week against the lowly Titans.

The scheme is what makes this matchup especially interesting. An All-22 charting review found that 83 percent of Chicago’s runs through two games have used zone concepts, with outside zone accounting for roughly 71 percent. Ben Johnson runs it from different formations, often from under center and with multiple tight ends (and the Bears have some pretty good tight ends.) The line stretches the defense sideways; Swift can press the front side and cut back if a defender runs too far upfield, while Monangai is more direct and decisive through an opening. Chicago can then show the same action and send Cole Kmet into space on a play-action pass.

This is a serious test for Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Moro Ojomo, and the linebackers behind them. Davis has the strength to keep blockers from climbing cleanly to the second level. Carter can disrupt a play before Swift has time to choose a lane, although I will be watching his wrist and hand after he played with a club against Tennessee. Last week, Baun missed chances to end plays early, Campbell was late to a run fit, and Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps had difficult moments in supporting the run. I am still thinking about Epps’s angle on the Titans’ third-and-22 handoff that somehow became a 27-yard gain. Chicago is too good on the ground for the Eagles to give away extra yards after first contact. Hopefully Vic has the boys ready for a tough game between the tackles tonight.

Which Bears quarterback are the Eagles actually facing?

Bears QB Caleb Williams injured his hamstring against Minnesota, did not practice this week, and is officially out. Tyson Bagent entered last week’s game and suffered a concussion, which made Chicago’s quarterback situation look quite uncertain for most of the week. Bagent has since cleared protocol and carries no injury designation. He is available, but Case Keenum is expected to start after taking the majority of practice reps while Bagent was sidelined. Unless Chicago changes course before kickoff, Bagent will be Keenum’s backup.

Bagent’s story is worth knowing even if he spends tonight on the sideline. He went undrafted out of Division II Shepherd University, where he threw 159 career touchdown passes, an NCAA record across all divisions at the time. He then won two of his four starts for the Bears as a rookie in 2023.

Keenum is 38 and has not thrown a regular-season pass since his two starts for Houston in 2023. In his last appearance, against Cleveland on December 24 of that year, he went 11-of-17 for 62 yards and two interceptions before leaving the game. I am curious about what his arm looks like now. Can he still drive a throw outside the numbers or punish the Eagles if they crowd the line of scrimmage?

Of course, Eagles fans have seen the best-known chapter of Keenum’s career. He helped the Vikings reach the NFC Championship Game after the Minneapolis Miracle in the 2017 postseason. Then he came to Philadelphia, where Patrick Robinson returned one of his interceptions 50 yards for a touchdown and the Eagles won 38-7 on their way to Super Bowl LII.

Can the Eagles’ offensive line get the run game moving again?

I left the Titans game feeling two things about Drew Kendall. I liked his composure in his first start at center against All-Pro Jeffery Simmons, and I could see why the interior line still worries people (it still worries me.) With Landon Dickerson on injured reserve, Cam Jurgens moved to left guard and Kendall took over in the middle. Tyler Steen also had difficult reps at right guard. Philadelphia’s running backs combined for only 66 yards on 24 carries against Tennessee, and too often they had to make a move before getting back to the line of scrimmage.

PFF’s grades underline the concern: Jurgens and Kendall both graded below 50.0 against the Titans. Their overall grades through two games sit at 44.5 and 44.9, respectively. The Eagles desperately need more consistent blocking inside. Meanwhile, Jordan Mailata allowed no pressures in Week 1 and earned a 90.0 PFF grade, and Lane Johnson posted a 97.7 percent pass-block win rate in Week 2. The tackles have been amazing as expected.

I am hoping backup lineman Willie Lampkin gets a look at guard if the interior continues to struggle. The Eagles list him behind Jurgens at left guard, and he has experience at both guard and center.

The lineman need to be better this week and hopefully the backs are better too. Saquon Barkley played sparingly after suffering a stinger on the first offensive snap in Tennessee, finishing with four carries for nine yards. He practiced fully Friday and Saturday and is available tonight. Tank Bigsby, who took 13 carries against the Titans, is also available after an abdomen issue; Will Shipley is available despite being limited with a foot injury. I expect Barkley to lead the backfield again, but I still want more Tank. He ran with some force last week even when the blocking gave him very little.

Is this the night the Eagles’ receivers finally take over?

I wrote last week about how DeVonta Smith looked like a true No. 1 receiver against Tennessee, and I keep coming back to how smooth he was. His 10 catches, 117 yards, and touchdown were impressive enough, but the slant, corner route, comeback, and sideline catches showed how many different ways he can win.

The Bears’ secondary has given opponents, like DeVonta, a lot of chances to put up big numbers, and I hope that can continue tonight. Chicago has allowed 240 net passing yards per game through two weeks, including 353 to Carolina in its opener. It is only a two-game sample, and the Panthers game was a 59-37 shootout, but I want Jalen Hurts to test those outside matchups when Chicago leaves its corners without much help.

Dontayvion Wicks could have a big night against a familiar NFC North opponent. The Eagles acquired him from Green Bay in April, and he already has seven catches for 147 yards and a touchdown this season. His 21 yards per catch show what he can add beyond the shorter throws. With Hollywood Brown and Dallas Goedert out, Smith and Wicks should have plenty to do. I would like to see the Eagles give them clean releases against man coverage and let Hurts take a shot if Chicago’s corners play aggressively.

And maybe this is finally a Makai Lemon game. The rookie has four catches for only nine net yards through two weeks. I do not need him to carry the entire passing game with Smith playing like this. I do want to see him get a few more chances to catch the ball in space and show why the Eagles drafted him in the first round.

Will Jonathan Greenard make his Eagles debut?

It looks possible. Greenard missed the first two games with a pectoral injury, practiced fully Saturday, and is listed as questionable for tonight. He said he is optimistic, but his availability will not be settled until just before gametime. Even if he dresses, I will be interested to see how many snaps he gets in his first game back.

Greenard had 12 sacks for Minnesota in 2024, which is the kind of impact the Eagles hoped to add when they traded for him. Philadelphia has only three sacks through two games, though Jalyx Hunt produced four quarterback pressures against Tennessee and has been active even when the sack has not come. Chicago’s line presents a real challenge: according to PFF, all five starters have pass-block win rates above 95 percent through two weeks. I want to see Hunt, Nolan Smith, Carter, and perhaps Greenard make Keenum move. Pressures matter here, even if the final sack total is modest.

Can we appreciate the weather for a moment?

After last week’s scorching conditions in Nashville, this forecast sounds almost perfect. The National Weather Service has Soldier Field around 64 degrees at 7 p.m. Central, slipping into the low 60s as the game goes on. Skies should be mostly clear, with very little wind and no rain expected during the game. The temperature may reach the upper 50s later overnight.

A crisp Monday night in Chicago, under the lights, with weather that should let both teams play their normal game? That is about as good as fall football gets. It should give Jake Elliott a fair chance if the Eagles need another long kick, too.

Will penalties and the little things decide it?

Chicago has committed 20 accepted penalties for 115 yards in its first two games: 12 against Carolina and eight against Minnesota. The Eagles have committed nine for 75 yards.

Turnovers and special teams are the other things on my mind. The Eagles’ defense still has not forced a takeaway this season, while Hurts threw two interceptions in Tennessee. Chicago came away with only three points against Minnesota after a Swift fumble near the goal line and a blocked short field goal contributed to a frustrating afternoon.

I want the Eagles to continue to limit penalties and finally force some turnovers. I think The Birds come away with a big win on Monday Night Football.