All eyes remain on the backup quarterbacks at Halas Hall as the Bears get set to host the Jets on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The gamesmanship is in full effect when it comes to who will be under center. <\/p>\n
“We’ll find out on Sunday,” head coach Ben Johnson said. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Caleb Williams has expectedly been ruled out for a second straight week with a hamstring injury. Head coach Ben Johnson still won’t say if second-stringer Tyson Bagent or third-stringer Case Keenum will get the start in Week 4, but said the Bears can’t go wrong either way.<\/p>\n
“I feel really good about the whole room, and so I don’t know that there’s a bad choice, or a wrong choice,” he said. “We’re very, very fortunate that we’ve got guys that we believe in. The whole team believes. It’s not just the coaching staff, the whole team believes in everybody in that room.”<\/p>\n
While Bagent is No. 2 on the depth chart at quarterback, Keenum had a 110.8 passer rating in his start against the Eagles on Monday night, completing 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a rushing touchdown, raising the question if the Bears should stick with him even after Bagent has recovered from a concussion and put in a full week of practice.<\/p>\n
“There is such thing playing the hot hand. That is real, and we’re certainly taking that into consideration. And yet, there’s a body of work that goes into it as well. So, there’s a lot of factors at play, and we certainly have talked about it as a coaching staff. Yeah, you know, honestly, it’s split. When you just ask each coach one-on-one what they think, it’s split” Johnson said. “I know both of them are well-prepared to play and win a game for us here. So, excited about that.”<\/p>\n
Meantime, the defense is preparing for a Jets offense led by veteran quarterback Geno Smith, who is completing over 75 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions through their first three games.<\/p>\n
“I think just getting the ball out of his hands, keeping it simple, and really just trying to hit his reads. I would say, from there, it’s just going through it, and then I think he starts to take off once the first and the second read’s not there,” Johnson said. “So I think, for us, it’s just eliminating that side, and then the rush getting there and hitting home.”<\/p>\n
Theo Benedet will start at left tackle with Braxton Jones week-to-week with a knee injury. Johnson said Ozzy Trapilo is looking better and might be available sooner rather than later as he continues recovery from a knee injury he suffered in the Bears’ playoff loss to the Rams last season.<\/p>\n
Running back D’Andre Swift is off the injury report and good to go after missing Thursday’s practice with a knee issue. Defensive back Cam Lewis is doubtful with a hip injury he suffered against the Eagles.<\/p>\n
On the Jets side, they’ll be without starting running back Breece Hall and three other offensive starters, including wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, tight end Mason Taylor, and left guard Dylan Parham. Linebacker Kiko Mauigoa also has been ruled out on Sunday.<\/p>\n
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