Justin Fields did not participate in today's practice. He is most likely missing the Week 8 game against the Chargers. If I had to guess, my assumption is that although he is considered week-to-week, he will be back in Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers. This would be one game sooner than if the Chicago Bears put him on injured reserve with designation to return. The upside though is we get to see Tyson Bagent another week.
If you are looking for a debate on Tyson Bagent being better or worse than Justin Fields, that's not what this is about. We can discuss that at a different time. My focus here is on Tyson Bagent with a little comparison and contrast to what we have seen from Justin Fields.
Tyson Bagent needs to prove he can start for the Chicago Bears
It is no secret that Tyson Bagent has a quicker release than Justin Fields. Having a quicker release does not make a quarterback better than another, but it is a benefit. If we go back and watch the tape on Bagent in the loss to the Vikings, we can see plenty of rookie mistakes. However, he showed enough in the quick passing game to keep fans excited. Luke Getsy and the Chicago Bears coaching staff saw enough to come up with a sound game plan against the Raiders last week. Bagent threw mostly first-read passes and the Bears used six and seven-man max protections. It worked.
Tyson Bagent was able to get the ball out to his skill players. DJ Moore played well once again and the Chicago Bears leaned on the running game for over 170 rushing yards. The defense played well again and the Bears won their second game of the season. The matchup against the Chargers is not going to be the same though. Bagent and the Bears will need to adjust. As of now, Tyson Bagent has proven he's good enough to be a backup quarterback in this league. That's a great feat for a Division II quarterback. However, we need to see a few more things if he wants to prove he can be a starter.
Tyson Bagent needs to show the Chicago Bears he can handle pressure
In the loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Tyson Bagent did not handle pressure from the Vikings as well as he did last week in the win over the Raiders. Bagent had more time to prepare for the Raiders and well, despite Maxx Crosby, the Vikings have been slightly better at getting to the quarterback. Bagent played five possessions in relief of Justin Fields and Bagent turned the ball over in two of them -- an interception and a fumble.
When facing the Raiders, Bagent's decision-making was much better. It was not only the fact that he didn't turn the ball over in this game, but he showed poise in the pocket. He knew when to move, when to run, and when to stay put. If pressure got close, he carefully threw the ball away. He did not look like a rookie, but instead a seasoned backup quarterback. He played the game-manager role perfectly.
One benefit to having a quick release, Bagent is able to get the ball out before pressure can get to him. It means the offensive line needs to hold blocks for a shorter amount of time. It means that he is able to find the open target or throw it away. When a team blitzes, they usually leave someone open. Bagent showed us he can read the defense well and find his hot routes if needed after identifying where the blitz is coming from. These are honestly things Justin Fields struggles with at times. Now, we need to see him prove it again vs. a hungry Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa.
Tyson Bagent needs to show the Chicago Bears he can push the ball
Last week, Nathan Peterman was put into the game to throw a hail mary before the end of the half. Tyson Bagent says he has a cannon of an arm, but then why did Peterman have to make the deep throw? His deep ball against the Vikings was thrown very short and led to an interception. I thought he had pressure in his face making the throw more difficult, but after the Peterman situation, you have to wonder if he struggles in that area. Note, that it wasn't brought up as a huge issue in his draft profile, but the signs seem to say otherwise.
Last week, Bagent threw four passes beyond 10 yards. Two of those passes went for incompletions. His best throw went for 15 yards and I believe it was on his escape and rollout to DJ Moore. I found that to be one of his best throws in the game. The running game helped Tyson Bagent drastically, but the Raiders are 24th against the run this year, while the Chargers are currently 11th. The running game is not likely to see the same level of success in Week 8. Bagent will need to find a way to pick apart the defensive backs since the Chargers have given up the second-to-most passing yards.
My hope is that with what took place last week, the Chicago Bears will attempt to run the ball early -- even if not extremely successful. We need to see the play action develop and some deeper throws made. I'm not expecting 25+ air yards, but I want to see more between 10 and 20 yards before I even start to think Bagent has the upside to become a starter in the NFL.
Tyson Bagent needs to show the Chicago Bears he can work progressions
When Tyson Bagent came into the game for Justin Fields, the Chicago Bears changed up the game plan slightly. The Bears used Bagent's ability to get the ball out quickly and threw quick, short passes the majority of the time. This isn't to say he didn't throw the ball downfield, but when he did, it was a pass that looked like a throwaway that Tyler Scott caught on an incredible comeback, plus the interception he underthrew to DJ Moore. Even then, the Moore pass was his first read.
In his first start, a win against the Raiders, Bagent was like a surgeon. He completed 74% of his passes and dissected a Raiders defense that didn't look like it wanted to play football that day. The Chicago Bears running attack was dominant and when Bagent needed to throw the ball, he made his throws. However, the Raiders made it relatively easy. The Bears used max protection most of the time and Bagent threw a majority of single-read throws.
That said, there were a few plays when Tyson Bagent showed that he can read the defense more than just pre-snap. He got through to his second and even third read on occasion. The problem is, that isn't going to be as easy against the Chargers without a dominant running game. The Chargers are allowing less than 100 yards rushing per game and at home, it is as low as 80 yards. The Raiders are allowing 124 rushing yards per game and that increases to over 150 when on the road. This matchup will not be as easy. Without a dominant running game, the Chargers should be able to bring more pressure.
This is a perfect opportunity for Tyson Bagent, and even Luke Getsy, to showcase what they can do. If Tyson Bagent can show us these three things, then it's possible that he could be a true starter in this league.