The Chicago Bears won at Soldier Field for the first time in 13 months behind a rookie quarterback and a backup running back.
Tyson Bagent, a 23-year-old undrafted free agent filling in for an injured Justin Fields, led the Bears to a 30-12 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, marking the first time since Craig Krenzel in 2004 that a Bears quarterback won his first career start.
Chicago had not triumphed at home since September 25, 2022.
After Fields dislocated his thumb against the Minnesota Vikings, Bagent, a Shepherd University Division II graduate who holds the NCAA record for career touchdown passes with 159, practiced all week as the starter.
The rookie ran three times for 24 yards, notably a 12-yard scramble on a second-and-11 in the third quarter to sustain a drive that resulted in a touchdown and a 21-3 lead, and completed 21 of 29 pass tries for 162 yards & a touchdown (97.2 passer rating). The Bears went 8-of-13 on third down thanks to Bagent’s crisp, effective effort, which helped Chicago secure its second victory of the year.
In reference to Bagent, wide receiver DJ Moore said, “He took the offer they were giving him.” “He kept within himself, did nothing exceptional outside of himself, and maintained his composure. did what had to be done.
Bagent didn’t have to carry the team’s burden as a part of the Bears’ game plan.
Among the seven players who caught passes, Moore led the club with a team-high eight receptions for 54 yards. D’Onta Foreman’s season-best 89 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and two running touchdowns helped Chicago produce its second-highest amount of rushing yards of the year (173 yards), ranking first in the league.
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who had two interceptions, including a pick-six of 39 yards in the fourth quarter, helped the Bears’ offensive performance.
Coach Matt Eberflus stated that “that really was the whole thing.” “Don’t let 98 [Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby] ruin the game. We wanted [Bagent] to have good rhythm, timing, and protection. All of those were our winning formulas. And give the ball to skill guys so that when you can run the ball as well as we did, they can come up the line of scrimmage and be in some terrific offensive pass situations. Overall, the team put in a really excellent effort.
With 19 touches on Sunday, his most with Chicago, Foreman became the fifth Bears player in the previous 60 seasons to score two rushing touchdowns & a receiving touchdown in the same game.
Bagent remarked that D’Onta appeared to be playing insanely today. “… I know he was dying to get out there & have a good game.”
Foreman, who was sidelined for Weeks 2 through 5, has been given a larger role during the last two games as a result of injuries to Chicago’s backfield, including Khalil Herbert’s ankle injury and Roschon Johnson’s concussion.
“When he was down, after which we activated him up, he was the exact same guy all that moment, and that was really cool,” Eberflus remarked. He understood that his chance would eventually present itself. He knew he needed to improve his performance last week, and today he did. Therefore, in my opinion, he simply needs to start stacking performances while maintaining his previous mindset of positivity and ability.
Eberflus stated that on Monday, the team would assess Fields’ injured thumb to determine its status.
Eberflus stated, “He’s going to see the physicians. “I am aware of his excellent spirits. I’m sure he did a fantastic job throughout the week, and today he worked with Tyson on the sidelines, spoke with him before the game, and went through the first 15 plays in detail. On Monday, we’ll learn more about his condition, where he is, and other things.
Bagent commended Fields for his assistance all week in getting ready for the Raiders. The rookie said that he was anxious before the game when he took the field and was astounded by the “off the chain” home crowd.
Bagent made a joke about how his salary would probably look different this week when asked how many friends and family members were present for the victory. Because of what he did on Sunday, Eberflus gave him a game ball, making him the ninth quarterback since 1970 to win in his first start for the Bears.
“I’ve got a lot of friends, a bunch of family who understand just how significant this was, just really in life,” said Bagent. “Not a lot of individuals get to say they began an NFL game, even if they win an NFL game.”