Bear Digest

Vegas takes note with report from NFL Network about Lamar Jackson

The betting line on Bears game Sunday has taken a huge, sudden shift with the report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport about Lamar Jackson's availability.
Gene Chamberlain|
Tyler Huntley fumbles against the Bears after a hit by former Bear Robert Quinn in a 2021 game at Soldier Field.
Tyler Huntley fumbles against the Bears after a hit by former Bear Robert Quinn in a 2021 game at Soldier Field. | Quinn Harris-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Lamar Jackson watch took a totally different twist Saturday morning thanks to a report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, and it could drastically affect preparation.

Jackson did go through a full practice on Friday for the first time after limited participation earlier in the week, as he gets past a hamstring injury.

However, Rapoport reported Jackson merely ran the scout team at practice and not the starting offense.

"#Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ran the scout team on Friday, an indication that the two-time MVP is a week away from returning despite having a full practice," Rapoport posted on X. "Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, signed off the practice squad, would be in line to start vs. the #Bears if Jackson can’t go."

Later, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Jackson is definitely out for the game.

Obviously Huntley is not Jackson and it does make a huge difference in personnel and possible production, but in terms of how they defend Baltimore it probably doesn't alter the plan. If Cooper Rush started at quarterback, the plan could change.

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Bears safety Kevin Byard addressed this issue earlier in th week.

"Well, I think a lot of film study that I've already done, we understand that obviously Lamar goes, we know what type of offense they can be," Byard said. "Snoop Huntley, they are very similar so I'm pretty sure the game plan will be very similiar. But obviously if Cooper Rush goes, it's going to be a lot different. It wont be a lot of quarterback runs, it will be more quick game, pass game, drop back pass game.

"But also they are going to feed Derrick Henry the ball regardless. For me, and I think for us our mentality won't be that much different. I just think the challenge that presents itself if Lamar plays, mentality-wise, we just have to understand that we are going to have to really be good in our run fits but also understand that when he gets the ball in his hands, he's just as dangerous as anybody in the league."

Oddsmakers in Las Vegas quickly caught on to this report by Rapoport and the betting line on the game as drastically altered. The Bears are now 3 1/2-point underdogs with DraftKings, when they were 6 1/2-point underdogs prior. In betting circles, a sudden three-point swing is huge.

Huntley has a 3-6 record as Ravens starter replacing Jackson in five seasons. Huntley left in 2024 for Miami and replaced injured Tua Tagovailoa there for five starts, two of which Baltimore won.

Huntley is 5-9 in 14 career starts and that includes a 16-13 win over the Bears in 2021, a game when Justin Fields suffered an injury near halftime and was replaced by Andy Dalton. The Bears were playing a different defensive scheme with a different coaching staff at the time.

In the win, Huntley went 26 of 36 for 219 yards with an interception and no TDs, while compiling a 76.0 passer rating. He ran seven times for 40 yards. In the closing minutes, he beat Deon Bush with a third-and-12 pass for 29 yards to the Bears 3 to set up the winning TD run. A last-second bid to rally by the Bears ended with a sack of Dalton with the ball near midfield.

Huntley has a solid 64.7% completion rate for his career (317 of 490) but has  thrown just 11 touchdown passes to go with 10 interceptions for a career 79.2 passer rating.  He played against the Rams last week when Cooper Rush was struggling as the replacement for Jackson and went 10-for-15 or 68 yards without a TD or interception.

Huntley's biggest problem has been how the passing game crawls to a near-halt when he starts. He averaged only 5.8 yards per attempt for his career and only in two of his starts did he go over that figure.

Huntley is a highly mobile QB and had 39 yards rushing on three carries in that game. For his career, he averages 4.7 yards a run with five rushing TDs and 683 yards on 144 carries.

When asked Wednesday about the uncertainty of Jackson playing, Johnson said: “We’ll approach it that he’s starting for them, and that’s our starting point.”

For Baltimore, it might be a case where they need to beat the Bears with Roquan Smith and their defense now, and with the running of Derrick Henry.

However, "Snoop" Huntley has already proven he's capable of doing it.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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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.