The Chicago Bears are sticking with Tyson Bagent for another week, and this time there’s no mystery about it.
Ben Johnson has already settled the Week 5 quarterback question ahead of Chicago’s trip to Green Bay, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting during an appearance on ESPN 1000 that Johnson told Jeff Joniak Bagent is expected to start Sunday against the Packers.
“Bears HC Ben Johnson told @JeffJoniak on @ESPN1000 that QB Tyson Bagent is expected to start Sunday at Green Bay against the Packers,” Schefter reports.
That’s a much cleaner answer than the Bears gave earlier in the season. Chicago had to turn to Case Keenum in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles, and he responded with an outstanding performance while Caleb Williams and Bagent were sidelined. Then, heading into Week 4 against the New York Jets, Johnson kept things vague before Bagent was eventually announced as the starter.
After the Bears’ win over the Jets, there’s no similar suspense this time. Bagent is the guy for Week 5, even if his first extended action of the season didn’t exactly jump off the page.
Against New York, Bagent completed 25 of 34 passes for 268 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. He also carried the ball four times for one yard.
The Bears didn’t ask him to carry the offense, and he didn’t have to. Kyle Monangai handled 30 rushing attempts at 4.9 yards per touch, while Chicago controlled possession and kept the game tilted heavily in its favor.
That kind of formula may not be enough against Green Bay, though. The Packers are next, and the Bears may need more production from Bagent through the air than they did in Week 4.
Williams, meanwhile, remains out. He has already missed Week 3 and Week 4, and now Week 5 is off the table as well. The Bears are targeting a Week 6 return against the Atlanta Falcons, but for now, the offense belongs to Bagent.
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Packers Defense Just Raised A Bigger Concern Before Bears Week
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What makes the victory feel more revealing, though, is the way the defense kept winning the biggest snaps while the broader picture around the unit stayed unsettled. Under coordinator Jonathan Gannon, the Packers are 2-2 after the latest grind-it-out effort, but the performance also sharpened the discussion heading into Bears week about whether the defense is simply making timely plays or masking a concern that could matter more against a sharper opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Packers May Have Found A Needed Short-Term Answer Up Front
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It was not a flawless debut, but it was sturdy enough to suggest the Packers may have found a workable short-term fix while the room sorts itself out. Pro Football Focus graded Glover at 59.4 overall, which fits the profile of a player who steadied a spot that had been in flux. Kevin Zeitler is expected back once fully ready, but until then Green Bay at least has a name it can trust to keep the line moving. [Read more 🡒]
Matt LaFleur Nearly Turned A Needed Packers Win Into A Collapse
The Packers got the result they needed on Sunday, edging the Buccaneers 17-14, but the final stretch had plenty of reason to leave Green Bay uneasy. Matt LaFleurs team had done enough earlier to put itself in position to close the game out, and Tampa Bays offense was mostly stuck in neutral, with the run game serving as its only consistent source of movement.
Still, the late-game sequence turned a routine finish into a tense one. LaFleurs decision to pass in a critical fourth-quarter drive ended with an interception and suddenly gave the Buccaneers a path back into a game that seemed within Green Bays grasp. The Packers escaped with the win, but the way it nearly unraveled is the kind of coaching choice that will linger a lot longer than the final score. [Read more 🡒]