Tyson Bagent's Steady Play Outweighs Mistakes

Considering his big shot at second-team quarterback took a hit because of a dropped end zone pass along with the ensuring and resulting interception, Tyson Bagent managed to take it all in stride.

It's kind of how he handles everything.

The Bears undrafted rookie quarterback got to play as the backup behind Justin Fields Saturday and struggled more than against Indianapolis but still had his moments in a 24-21 loss to Buffalo.

"It was fun, just kind of like last week," Bagent said. "Another opportunity to showcase my talent, show I belong. So it was exciting especially being at home."

His 7-of-14 effort for 43 yards was tainted by an interception he threw not of his own making for a couple of reasons. In the end, he didn't have as good of a day passing-wise as fellow backup QB competitor P.J. Walker, but for someone who seemed to have no roster shot a few weeks ago it wasn't bad.

"I can sense that people are surprised that maybe I'm ... that I've been able to have any success coming from where I came from," the former Division II QB passer from Shepherd said.

The excitement over Bagent seemed ready to hit a peak when he threw on a seam route to wide-open Stephen Carlson in the end zone after Trevis Gipson's strip-sack gave the Bears the ball back at Buffalo's 26-yard line just before halftime. He may have led Carlson a bit too much considering how open the route popped, and Carlson still had it in his hands without being covered as he went to the ground but then he dropped it.

One down later, Bagent threw to the right side near the numbers and receiver Daurice Fountain wasn't to be found. Buffalo's Ja'Marcus Ingram was waiting for the easy pick because Fountain got tangled up with the defensive back covering in the flat and didn't get to run his slant route correctly.

Like any good QB, Bagent took the blame himself for the pick whether it was his to absorb or not.

"I just think I kind of have to do a good job of seeing the field," Bagent said. "I think, in a sense, it's good to get the first one (interception) kind of out of the way because those things happen in football."

As for the end zone drop, Bagent took the same approach.

"I think kind of especially as a quarterback you kind of have no choice but to play the next play, if the prior play was really good or really bad," he said.

Earlier, Bagent ran in from 8 yards to get the Bears back within 14-10. It was his second rushing TD in two weeks, which was almost as big of a surprise as a Shepherd University QB getting a good look as an NFL backup. The surprise was his rushing because he had done so little of it in college.

"Coach (Ernie) McCook, my head coach at Shepherd, one of my best friends is his son Mike McCook, and I was just texting him saying, you know, it's a shame coach didn't run me more in college," Bagent said, laughing. "But, yeah, I think just being able to utilize my legs, especially when you get in situations where they're in man coverage so they're focused on running with the receivers, and a lot of times the middle of the field can open up for you."

Afterward, there was no sense thinking coach Matt Eberflus was going to cough up the truth yet about which QB would be the backup, Bagent, Walker or even Nathan Peterman, who didn't play Saturday.

"We have to see where it is," Eberflus said. "We're going to sit down as a group and talk about it and we'll see where it is. You know, no decisions have been made.

"So we are just going to sit down as a group, watch the tape and then talk about what the best thing for the Bears is."

The battle for No. 2 aside, Eberflus was impressed again by Bagent but necessarily for his completions. Actually the lack of any delay of games won over Eberflus.

"Typically with inexperience, you have a couple of those delays," Eberflus said. "He didn't have those. But overall great operation.

"I thought he was accurate. Decision-making was good."

Now the decision to be made is to be from Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

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