All anybody talked about all week was how the Chicago Bears were dead in the water. There was no way they were beating the Las Vegas Raiders without Justin Fields, especially not with an undrafted rookie quarterback as the backup. If that weren't bad enough, the kid comes from Division II. He's not cut out for the NFL. Don't forget he's playing behind an offensive line with a backup at left tackle and a rookie at right tackle against the #8 pass defense in the league. Tyson Bagent had no shot.
Then the Bears won the game 30-12. The rookie didn't look out of place in his first start. While the numbers aren't spectacular, they are impressively efficient. Bagent went 21-of-29 for 162 yards and a touchdown. He also had 24 yards on three runs. Chicago was 8-of-13 on 3rd down. Much of that was thanks to Bagent's ability to make smart decisions with the football. He never put it in harm's way and kept drives going with accurate passes. It may not have been the stat-rich outing fans wanted, but it was exactly what the Bears needed.
Three drives ate up at least six minutes on the clock, including one in the 4th quarter after Las Vegas made it a two-score game 21-6. Chicago got into field goal range and made it 24-6, essentially putting it out of reach.
Tyson Bagent had no business playing that well.
Like everybody was fond of pointing out, he's an undrafted rookie. Guys like him get eaten alive by NFL defenses. However, it's been clear for months that Bagent is different. His size, athleticism, accuracy, and mental processor are far above most quarterbacks who come from that level. In fact, he was recruited by bigger schools before his senior year at Shepherd. Had he taken one of those offers, there is a good chance he would've been drafted. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise for the Bears.
They were willing to give him a genuine opportunity to make the roster. He embraced it, playing better than any QB during the preseason. That got him a roster spot. Now, he has the same number of wins in 2023 as Justin Fields does. People are already dismissing it.
"The running game did most of the work."
"He never threw the ball down the field."
"The Raiders suck anyway."
Tyson Bagent has heard the excuses for his entire life. Defying them has become a life goal. He did so yet again on Sunday. Chicago deserves credit for embracing what he brought to the table, not allowing the outside noise to dictate their roster decisions.
