While Mitch sits, Daniel lights it up
Quarterback Mitch Trubisky is an X-factor heading into the regular season. For what it’s worth, though, backup Chase Daniel looks ready to go.
Taking advantage of coach Matt Nagy’s decision to sit his starters, Daniel was in his element in the Bears’ preseason game Saturday against the Chiefs at Soldier Field. In the 28th preseason game of his 10-year NFL career, Daniel played like he had been there before, leading the Bears to touchdowns on their first three drives in a 27-20 victory.
Playing the first half before giving way to third-stringer Tyler Bray, Daniel completed 15 of 18 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns for a career-best 149.5 passer rating, mostly against firstteam defenders.
‘‘I thought the play-calls were great,’’ Daniel said. ‘‘We always script our first 15 plays, and when [Nagy] told us about it [Friday] in our meeting, I felt really confident about it. Ball out quick, run game, slice ’em and dice ’em a little bit, try to cut them. It was a confidencebuilder, for sure.’’
Daniel threw touchdown passes of 29 yards to Kevin White and seven yards to rookie Javon Wims.
‘‘So proud of Chase,’’ Nagy said. ‘‘He’s put in a lot of work over a lot of years, and that’s one of the reasons he’s here — not only what he does on the field but what he does with [Trubisky] and with Tyler. These guys have a hell of a room going on right now.’’