Rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent led three touchdown drives in his first career start to lift the Chicago Bears to a 30-12 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Soldier Field.
It was the Bears’ first home victory since Sept. 25, 2022, snapping a franchise-record 10-game losing streak.
The Bears (2-5) relied heavily on their running game, with D’Onta Foreman totaling 89 yards on the ground and Darrynton Evans adding 48. Foreman scored two rushing touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass.
Meanwhile, Bagent, an undrafted rookie who last started a regular-season game for Division II Shepherd, completed 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t commit a turnover against a Raiders defense that entered the game with just five takeaways this season and was sacked once.
Bagent was starting in place of Justin Fields, who injured his right thumb in Week 6.
The Bears defense got three interceptions — one from Tremaine Edmunds and two from Jaylon Johnson — against a Raiders team without starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. And kicker Cairo Santos made a 54-yard field goal.
Bagent’s first career touchdown pass came with 4 minutes, 4 seconds to play in the third quarter. He hit Foreman with a short pass, and Foreman barreled forward 4 yards past a block from tight end Cole Kmet to get into the end zone. Foreman and Evans did most of the heavy lifting on the 15-play, 88-yard drive.
Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson made a 25-yard field goal, his second field goal of the day, to cut the Bears lead to 21-6 with 12:20 to play.
Johnson was called for a 46-yard pass interference penalty while defending Tre Tucker on the drive, bringing the Raiders (3-4) to the Bears 15-yard line. The play came on third-and-18.
But behind quarterback Brian Hoyer, the Raiders couldn’t get in the end zone on seven plays after that. Josh Jacobs stepped out of bounds on a potential touchdown catch and Davante Adams dropped another. Linebacker Jack Sanborn tackled Jacobs for a 5-yard loss on the drive.
In the fourth quarter, Johnson picked off a Hoyer pass intended for Adams and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown. His second career interception and first since Sept. 19, 2021, put the Bears up 30-6.
Later in the quarter, Johnson intercepted rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who had subbed in for Hoyer.
O’Connell’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers cut the Bears lead to 30-12 with 1:10 to play.
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Here’s how the game unfolded.
Inactives announced
Bears right tackle Darnell Wright is active for Sunday’s game against the Raiders after battling a shoulder injury during the week.
Wright was limited in practice Wednesday, didn’t practice Thursday and was listed as questionable as he dealt with the issue. His availability is an important development because the Bears already are dealing with the absence of right guard Nate Davis, who is out with an ankle injury.
Safety Jaquan Brisker also is active after dealing with groin tightness in practice Friday.
The Bears previously declared out Davis, quarterback Justin Fields (thumb), safety Eddie Jackson (foot), running back Roschon Johnson (concussion) and cornerback Terell Smith (mononucleosis).
Offensive lineman Dan Feeney also is inactive after the Bears activated center Doug Kramer off injured reserve Saturday.
For the Raiders, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, cornerbacks Jakorian Bennett and Nate Hobbs, linebacker Amari Burney, wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson and defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera are inactive.
Halftime: Bears lead 14-3 on D’Onta Foreman’s 2 TD runs
Rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent threw for 104 yards and running back D’Onta Foreman had two touchdown runs to fuel the Bears to a 14-3 halftime lead against the Raiders.
Bagent, making his first start in place of injured starter Justin Fields, completed 14 of 19 passes with no turnovers and one sack. Foreman rushed for 41 yards.
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds had a second-quarter interception of Raiders quarterback Brian Hoyer that the Bears offense turned into a touchdown.
The Bears took a 7-0 lead on Foreman’s 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Bagent completed all four of his passes on the drive, including a 13-yarder to Tyler Scott on third-and-5.
Foreman also broke free for runs of 13 and 9 yards on the drive, and Bagent scrambled for a 10-yard gain to get the Bears to the Raiders 13.
Foreman’s 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Bears a 14-0 lead. The Bears capitalized on Edmunds’ interception, which bounced off the hands of running back Josh Jacobs, with a six-play, 34-yard drive. That included a 16-yard pass from Bagent to Marcedes Lewis.
On the first Raiders drive, Hoyer threw incomplete to wide receiver Davante Adams on third-and-4 at the Bears 23. Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson then missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt wide left.
The Raiders got on the scoreboard late in the second quarter when Carlson made a 40-yard field goal. Rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was called for pass interference on the drive against wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, a penalty that cost the Bears 14 yards and that players and coaches argued.
Catch up on all of our coverage.
‘I’ve pretty much beat every odd that there was for me’
Five years ago, Tyson Bagent was beginning his collegiate career at Division II Shepherd, in Shepherdstown, W.Va., his local university and the alma mater of his parents. He had received just two Division I FCS offers — and no FBS offers — despite leading his high school team to two state championships.
Less than six months ago, he went unselected in the NFL draft despite a record-breaking collegiate career and solid performance at the Senior Bowl.
Seven weeks ago, after a strong training camp and preseason, he beat out veteran PJ Walker to make the Bears roster despite entering camp as the fourth quarterback.
Now, on Sunday when he takes the field against the Raiders, Bagent will become just the fourth undrafted rookie quarterback since 1990 to start within the first seven games of the season, the last Devlin Hodges in 2019, according to NFL Communications. Read more here.
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Looking ahead to the 2024 NFL draft
There is always that one player — the guy who stands out from the rest, who rises to the occasion, blossoms in the moment and lives in memories for years to come.
That player is never a Bears quarterback.
With 11 games remaining and the timeline unclear for Justin Fields to return from a dislocated right thumb, it’s becoming likely the Bears will be in the market for a quarterback again in the 2024 NFL draft.
The Tribune traveled to Chapel Hill, N.C., to see Drake Maye and to South Bend, Ind., to see Caleb Williams, also speaking with 11 talent evaluators, ranging from national scouts to GMs, as well as others about the two quarterbacks’ prospects and the Bears’ options. Read more here.
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Stats package
The Bears will look to end a 56-week drought without a home victory when they face the Raiders at Soldier Field.
The Bears are again underdogs, however, and will have to put forth a crisp and complete effort to get back on the winning track. Read more here.
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