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One Great Bears Fear Stoked Despite Tyson Bagent's Effort Aganst Jets

Although the final numbers look fine and Bears domination was complete, enough went wrong against Jets in one way to stir apprehension over a game in Green Bay.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent looks to pass against the New York Jets during the second quarter at Soldier Field.
Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent looks to pass against the New York Jets during the second quarter at Soldier Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Bottom-line numbers for Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent spoke well for his success in Sunday's 23-12 win over the New York Jets.

It was when you looked a little past his career-high 268 yards on 25 of 34 passing where it all became a bit more alarming, or at least suspicious, heading into a game at Green Bay.

In fact, skeptical Bears fans on social media weren't waving the "W" flag for Bagent because he threw the first interception ever made under Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, and three more that were eliminated by penalties. Fortunately for the Bears, they were wiped out and in all three the flags really couldn't be disputed. It's still a scary situation.

Bagent's passes can lack the zip of stronger-armed NFL QBs and float a bit, making them prime to pluck when they're over the middle. The perfect example was his 2023 appearance against Dennis Allen's Saints defense in New Orleans with three interceptions on a losing day when he went 18-for-30 for 220 yards.

Ben Johnson on Monday sought to make the four interceptions thrown with only one that stood seem a little bit less like a disaster averted, but couldn't entirely wipe away fears.

“Yeah, the first one, he's got to do a better job with the ball," coach Ben Johnson said on Monday. "If he feels like he can't complete it there, he's got to dirt it."

Johnson even pointed out where the ball could have been thrown away.

"But once again, he's got to make that decision in real time," Johnson added. "We certainly can't put that ball in jeopardy like that."

A penalty for illegal use of hands occurred, negating the pick by defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat at the line of scrimmage. That near turnover was flukish because of the way it came in a crowd on a screen pass at or behind the line. The second ill-advised throw was Minkah Fitzpatrick's interception that stood.

Then there were two more in the fourth quarter while the Bears were on their epic 18-play march for over nine minutes as they ran out the clock, one by Brandon Stephens on a throw to Kalif Raymond that ws and then one by D'Angelo Ponds on another throw to Raymond. The first of those was an offsides and Bagent merely threw the ball up taking a shot after coaxing the Jets into the penalty with his cadence. On the final one, as Johnson correctly pointed out, Ponds needed the holding penalty to make the interception.

Essentially, the only interception made that wasn't either a fluke or a play resulting from penalty was Fitzpatrick's, one Bagent should have never thrown.

Still, four picks is scary even if it's not a valid number. It's the kind of thing to leave a seed of doubt as they go to Green Bay to play at a stadium where calls might be less friendly in front of the angry mob at Lambeau Field.

Bagent is 0-2 in road starts for his career, so he still has much to prove from winning away from Soldier Field to executing passes cleanly without putting the ball in danger.

It's the only real argument there is on the side of scrapping the depth chart and turning instead to third-string Case Keenum with starter Caleb Williams still out for a third straight game.

While it's not a better argument than Johnson's statement that Bagent has already won backup quarterback and is next up, four interceptions with three offset is still a scary proposition.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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