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Bear Digest

What the Past Says About Bears' Chances When Starting a Backup QB

The world of the NFL is a cold, cruel place for backup QBs when they are called upon to start, whether it's the second-stringer or a veteran third-stringer like Case Keenum.
Gene Chamberlain|
Case Keenum could be trading in the headsets and clipboard for an actual football this week.
Case Keenum could be trading in the headsets and clipboard for an actual football this week. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Starting a different quarterback is a little like transplanting an organ.

It's a foreign substance introduced to the body and might be rejected. Then again, it's what the team needs and they must adjust.

The Bears most likely will be adjusting this week to a different quarterback taking snaps, because when a quarterback is week to week due to injury and will not practice during the week as Ben Johnson said Caleb Williams won't, the likelihood is the backup plays. The only question now is which one. Tyson Bagent's concussion most likely means he won't make his first start since 2023. A different QB will make his first start since 2023, That would be Case Keenum. His start was with Houston.

The Bears have been fortunate the past two years because they didn't need to make this substitution as Williams remained healthy. The mere fact Williams is actually said to be week to week after the way he went to the turf Sunday speaks to his ability to overcome injury, but expecting him to be back after a week from this type of injury is a bit much. And in Williams' case, the legs are a huge weapon. Throwing him back onto the field quickly after a hamstring injury invites another one, unless he just stays in the pocket and throws. Fat chance of that.

Can Ben Johnson get a backup quarterback up to the standard necessary to beat a contender like the Eagles? No one knows because he has never had to do this in Chicago or in Detroit.

He quickly dismissed the thought he could call plays for a backup effectively on Sunday after the loss to Minnesota based on the fact he did it in preseason.

It's a legitimate question, though, because he hasn't done it in anything but a meaningless preseason game. And he really didn't have much experience this year calling plays for Keenum in the second half of games because he turned play calling over to backups. Maybe that wasn't so wise, looking back on it.

Keenum is the author of the Minneapolis Miracle and has done plenty in the league. He won't be the problem. It's getting a game plan to him that seems to stress his strengths that will be the problem. The other issue is actually winning.

Backups usually fail

When most teams turn to the backup quarterback, in other words the player who was not intended to be their first-team pass thrower, the record isn't good.

Backup quarterbacks last year owned a 31-78 record. Some of the backups had to start a good number of games due to injuries or because the starter was benched.

Kirk Cousins was 5-3 in his starts taking over for Michael Penix. Mac Jones had the same record starting for Brock Purdy. Davis Mills went 3-0 in starts for the Texans. Tyler Huntley went 2-0 with one win coming against the Bears. That's it for your NFL backups with winning records as starters last year. The rest of the QBs, 19 of them in all, had a combined starting record of 16-72.

It was no aberration. Backup QBs won 28.3% of the time last year and 28.4% the previous year.

The way backup QBs usually win is if they're taking over a good offense for a good team, or are backed greatly by a strong defense and/or running game. They have to limit mistakes and must play within themselves. Asking them to come in and light it up usually doesn't happen.

Joe Flacco did light up the scoreboard against the Bears for the Bengals last year but it was more the result of Flacco's great NFL experience and some very poor play by the Bears defense. It helped Flacco to have some of the best available receivers in the NFL.

The Bears have some of the ingredients necessary for a backup to succeed. They have the strong running game, but they can expect Vic Fangio and the Eagles to sit on that ground game and dare the backup to throw. It's the same approach he took when he was Bears defensive coordinator, and any defensive coordinator would take.

What Keenum can expect

The Bears can expect more blitzing. They can expect overloads on the right side of the offense in running downs because it's what the Vikings showed.

"They were moving to the right, and, you know, people dial it up and we got to have an answer for it," Bears guard Jonah Jackson said.

Rallying against a team with as much experience winning while using a backup QB is not the best set of circumstances.

The Bears will need to get a lead and stay ahead.

They'll need to use every bit of Ben Johnson's expertise at devising strong run-blocking schemes. Pass blocking will be a must because Keenum won't be scrambling very much.

Maybe an Ozzy Trapilo start at tackle in that cae?

Bears have already had problems getting some of their key receivers sufficiently involved in the offense. See Colston Loveland or Rome Odunze for an example of this. Suddenly, everything is coming apart on offense for the Bears after a 59-point effort to start the year.

The Bears may need a Chicago Monday Night Miracle from the author of the Minneapolis Miracle.

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Published
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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