Big Cat Sweats Bears-Eagles And Case Keenum In The Cave

Some context on how the Bears got here. Caleb Williams was ruled out of Monday Night Football with a hamstring injury, which left Chicago choosing between Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum. Bagent spent most of the week in the concussion protocol. He was cleared on Sunday, but he had barely practiced the game plan, so the job went to Keenum. For a fan base that spent the week after the Vikings loss fighting with itself, that is a lot to ask. Earlier in the week Jay Gruden, who had Keenum as his starter in Washington in 2019, went on Wake Up Barstool and made the case for him.

Wake Up Barstool

@wakeupbarstool

“Case took the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs. He can play. He's won a lot of games as a pro football starter.” – Jay Gruden

0:00

By Monday evening Big Cat had fully bought in. At 6:46 pm Chicago time he announced that his mind was made up about Keenum, and he closed the floor to questions.

Big Cat

@BarstoolBigCat

It is 6:46 pm and I have talked myself all the way into Case Keenum being awesome tonight. Please respect my decision. There will be no questions at this time

Five minutes later he added a backup plan. If Bagent ended up playing, he was all in on him too, and he admitted that one took a lot less convincing. That's the most Bears-fan way to handle a quarterback room. You don't pick one guy. You talk yourself into all of them.

Big Cat

@BarstoolBigCat

Also I think we may see Bagent tonight and I have also talked myself into him being awesome as well (that was a lot easier than talking myself into Case Keenum)

Then everyone headed to the Cave. Big Cat, Max and the Barstool Chicago crew went live for the sweat, with Bears fans and at least 1 Eagles jersey on the leather couches. It was set up for a Chicago-Philly fight from the start.

Big Cat

@BarstoolBigCat

Bears/Eagles live from the Gambling Cave Live Now —> t.co/jrmxNnKGXN

It paid off right away. The Bears went straight down the field on their first possession, and Keenum finished the drive with a shovel pass to Luther Burden III, who powered into the end zone. Chicago led 7-0, and the Cave lost it. People came out of their recliners before the extra point went through.

Viva La Stool

@VivaLaStool

A STATEMENT DRIVE TO OPEN THINGS UP The Bears march right down the field for a TD on their opening drive @raisingcanes

While the lead was still new, the stream drifted into the usual Cave stuff. With the Bears up 7-0 in the 1st quarter, Big Cat said Steven Cheah's son is basically a Cheah clone. Danny Conrad backed it up: the first time he met the kid, the kid told him his 6th favorite Cub was Nico Hoerner. Honestly, that sounds exactly like a Cheah.

Barstool Gambling

@stoolgambling

“@StevenCheah’s son is just a Cheah clone” - @BarstoolBigCat “The first time I met his son he said his 6th favorite Cub was Nico Hoerner” - @DannyJConrad

The Bears defense made the next big play. On Philadelphia's first possession, Jalen Hurts handed off to Tank Bigsby and Austin Booker punched the ball out, a peanut punch straight out of the Charles Tillman playbook. Xavier Woods recovered at the Philadelphia 15, and Chicago had a short field again.

Barstool Chicago

@barstoolchicago

The Peanut Punch from Austin Booker! That’s our ball!

On the Eagles side of the watch party, it went badly. About a minute after the fumble, the Philly fans were slumped on the couch with their faces in their hands.

Viva La Stool

@VivaLaStool

Oh no!

Barstool Gambling@stoolgambling

PEANUT PUNCH BEARS BALL IN SCORING POSITION t.co/Ey7tkHZTwQ

So that's where things stand early. Chicago has a touchdown on the board, a takeaway deep in Eagles territory, and the room is loud. Big Cat's Keenum take looks pretty good for now. The questions are whether Keenum can keep it up against a defense that will get time to adjust, and whether Bagent ever gets in so Big Cat can cash his other take. Either way, the Cave is set to be loud all night.