How Bears QB Tyson Bagent led a complete, efficient performance in a rare victory (2024)

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CHICAGO — Players always know. They can tell who has it and who doesn’t.

When Tyson Bagent started taking snaps in Chicago Bears training camp, it seemed like everyone knew: OK, this isn’t your everyday Division II undrafted rookie No. 4 quarterback.

We learned last week how unsurprised teammates were when Bagent made a few plays in relief of Justin Fields. Sunday, after a dominant 30-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Bagent’s first start, it was almost business as usual when describing the quarterback.

“He did what he did in practice,” defensive tackle Justin Jones said. “I was impressed the first time he took the field in practice and I was impressed today. Love to see him play. He’s a great guy, great quarterback, took charge as soon as he got in the huddle — you could tell from the guys. The energy was there the whole time.”

Right tackle Darnell Wright used everyone’s favorite Bagent descriptor: poise. Wide receiver DJ Moore went to another common one, “calm, collected,” but also that, in the huddle, Bagent was “confident, loud, straight to the point.”

“Just seeing his playmaking ability, he made a lot of good plays — running and throwing the football,” linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said of how he knew Bagent was maybe better than your average camp arm. “Even (in the) preseason he made a lot of good plays. I’m happy he was able to come out today and show the world what he could do.”

Bagent finished 21-for-29 passing for 162 yards with one touchdown and, most importantly, no turnovers. He had a passer rating of 97.2.

Have a day, @D33_foreman 🔥

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— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 22, 2023

He’s not going to be in any Player of the Week conversations. He didn’t create a quarterback controversy with his performance. He did exactly what he had to do to put the Bears in position to win.

It sounds simple, but for anyone who has watched this team over the years, it rarely is. Bagent made it look that way Sunday against a bad Raiders team.

“He felt very comfortable back there,” guard Teven Jenkins said. “He’s telling us how many seconds are on the play clock. He’s good at changing up the cadences. I was very impressed by how he kept changing up cadences.”

Suddenly, a lot of the things the Bears had been seeking on offense started to click.

“We wanted him to have good rhythm, timing, good protection; don’t let (Maxx Crosby) wreck the game,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “Those were all our keys to victory. And distribute the ball to skill players, and when you’re able to run the ball the way we were, they have to come up the line of scrimmage and in some good advantageous pass situations for us offensively. Overall it was a really great effort by the whole group.”

This one felt good. pic.twitter.com/cyXFarnzcR

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 22, 2023

Bagent reiterated that it was a priority to always monitor Las Vegas’ star edge rusher. Crosby had only one sack — and it was aided in part by the coverage — while the Raiders tallied only two hits on Bagent all afternoon.

The run game made things easier for everyone. D’Onta Foreman was outstanding with 89 yards on 16 carries, averaging 5.6 yards a pop. And he caught a touchdown pass, breaking a tackle on his way into the end zone. Darrynton Evans added 48 yards rushing.

“I thought D’Onta played out of his mind today,” Bagent said.

Bagent hit eight receivers, with Moore leading the way (eight catches for 54 yards). Darnell Mooney caught all four balls thrown his way for 32 yards.

And the Bears were 8-for-13 on third down — but 8-for-11 before the game got out of hand late in the fourth quarter. It was their most third-down conversions since Week 11 of last season. Bagent was 5-for-9 on third down, with all five of his passes going for first downs.

That led to some long drives — before the fourth quarter, the Bears had only one three-and-out and three drives that lasted at least 12 plays. They hadn’t had three 12-plus-play drives in a game since Week 8 of last season.

“Those long drives, if we can be out there for a long time wearing them down, it’s going to be a good day for the offense,” Jenkins said.

The line play, the run game and Bagent helped keep the Bears on schedule, even with some penalties. Bagent had a couple of savvy throwaways to avoid sacks, too.

“I feel like that’s a staple of how I’ve always tried to play quarterback, just getting the ball out of your hands, and just trying to combine that with making really good decisions,” he said. “I think I got away with in college a lot of times getting the ball out of your hand, but also forcing some things because I had that freedom to do so. … So I just kind of had that in the back of my head all week, like, hey, if it’s not there, play the next play.”

The Raiders had the one sack of Bagent, three tackles behind the line and only three passes defensed.

It was an efficient, methodical afternoon, as the Bears benefited from complementary football. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson had a pick six, and another interception. Edmunds picked off a pass as well. The Raiders had only 39 rushing yards.

Maybe Bagent isn’t so magical that he can get credit for the defense putting together its best outing, holding the Raiders to six points until the final minutes, but it was another example of everything coming together for a team that hadn’t won at Soldier Field since last September.

The Bears built a lead and held it. There rarely was a doubt after the third-quarter touchdown drive that made it a 21-3 game. That’s not a feeling this team is used to, and the players followed their quarterback in not panicking, and not allowing the Raiders to rally.

.@tysbagent is getting the Chicago crowd going 👀

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📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/iTs8HMaXlh pic.twitter.com/GEIWYieWIA

— NFL (@NFL) October 22, 2023

“(Bagent) took what they were giving him,” Moore said. “He stayed within himself. He didn’t go out and do anything extraordinary. He just stayed calm, collected and did what he had to do.”

Eberflus said he expects more information on Fields’ thumb Monday. Once Fields has the requisite grip strength to play, he’ll be back as the starter. But what the Bears learned Sunday afternoon is something they probably already knew — if they have to count on Bagent, he’s going to give them a shot.

“We always knew that he was a good player,” Jones said. “He’s a student of the game. That’s what makes him good.”

Said Wright, “He stepped right up to the plate and did his thing.”

(Photo: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)

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Kevin Fishbain is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Bears. Previously, he spent the 2013-16 seasons on the Bears beat for Shaw Media publications. After graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, he covered the NFL from 2010 to 2012 for Pro Football Weekly. Kevin was named the 2023 Illinois Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Follow Kevin on Twitter @kfishbain