Despite turnovers, Bagent looks like he has what it takes

The blind Bears have apparently found a nut.

Eh, a quarterback.

Or have they?

It's so hard to tell.

During the first half of the Bears' 24-17 loss at New Orleans on Sunday, Tyson Bagent displayed all the qualities you want to see from an NFL signal caller.

He was decisive, saw the field well, ran with authority, changed plays correctly at the line and gave guys chances to make plays.

But then Bagent struggled badly in the second half, completing just 8 of 17 passes for 72 yards with 2 interceptions and a lost fumble.

So after four appearances, what do we make of this 23-year-old from Division II Shepherd University?

The short answer is: A lot of good - and I mean A LOT - mixed in with some typical rookie mistakes.

Bagent looks like he might be the kind of quarterback who can lead a well-rounded team to the playoffs. He should start the final eight games so the Bears can determine if that is the case.

If he is, imagine what that means for next year's draft. The Bears wouldn't have to use either of their top-5 picks on a quarterback.

If Bagent looks to be more of a backup, then go back to Plan A.

But my guess is this kid has what it takes to be successful long term.

Let's take a look at some eye-opening examples from Sunday as to why:

• Bagent's first touchdown pass to Cole Kmet is a ball Justin Fields never would have thrown. But Bagent trusted his 6-foot-6 tight end to win a jump ball in the end zone against the 5-9, 190-pound Tyrann Mathieu. Bam: 7-0.

• Bagent's passes to Darnell Mooney (5 catches, 82 yards) and D.J. Moore (3-44) early in the game were on time and on the money. It was the kind of simple, perfect execution we rarely see out of Bears quarterbacks.

• Bagent opened the last drive before halftime by running for 3 and 16 yards. Then, facing a third-and-2 from the Saints' 35-yard line, Bagent yelled out instructions at the line before snapping the ball. He faked a handoff to D'Onta Foreman and scampered to his left for a 4-yard gain. Bagent's high football IQ is evident - and it will only improve with more playing time.

• How about that improvised 11-yard completion to Kmet early in the third quarter? The play went all kinds of wrong, but Bagent sidestepped a defender and kept his cool long enough to zip a ball over to Kmet. It was the start of a stellar 13-play, 62-yard drive that ended in a Cairo Santos field goal.

• Even one of Bagent's incompletions is worthy of talking about. His pass to D.J. Moore in the end zone on third-and-7 from the Saints' 13 was a thing of beauty. The ball was placed only where a leaping Moore could grab it - and the veteran WR did have it for a split second before two defenders managed to knock it free.

Bagent has now completed 74 of 110 passes (67.3%) for 697 yards with 3 TD passes and 6 interceptions. He's also rushed 17 times for 97 yards with 2 TDs and has lost 2 fumbles.

That INT number might be a concern for many, but I actually look at it as a positive. The only way to learn is to keep slinging - and Bagent has shown no fear in that regard.

My advice is to let him keep going.

Don't blindly go back to Justin Fields. Keep your eyes open and see if you have indeed found a bona fide QB.