NEW ORLEANS — Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent appears to be having his best game, hurting the Saints as a passer and runner, and the teams are tied 14-14 at halftime in the Superdome.
Bagent has completed 10 of 13 passes for 149 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception for a 121.5 passer rating and has run six times for 60 yards.
Darnell Mooney is the Bears’ top receiver with four catches for 70 yards on four targets. The 70 yards receiving already is a season high for Mooney.
Bagent led the Bears on a 75-yard drive on their first possession and hit tight end Cole Kmet for an 18-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead. He threw an interception on the next possession, leading to a Saints touchdown, but bounced back with an 85-yard touchdown drive.
Bagent picked up a third-and-12 on a scramble for the Bears to keep their drive going at the Saints’ 9-yard line, then lofted a touchdown pass to Kmet on the next play. It’s Kmet’s fourth multi-touchdown game in four seasons for the Bears.
Bears kicker Cairo Santos missed a 40-yard field goal off the right upright with 28 seconds left before halftime
Bagent is playing in place of Justin Fields, who is inactive for the third consecutive game because of a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
Saints quarterback Derek Carr has completed 15 of 19 passes for 137 yards with two touchdown passes for a 131.8 passer rating.
The Saints get the ball to begin the second half.
