Raiders-Bears Features Worst QB Matchup Of Week 7, But Sadly Not By All That Much

Published|Updated

On Thursday, the Las Vegas Raiders officially ruled quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo out for Sunday's Week 7 game against the Chicago Bears.

Justin Fields is already out, which means the Bears have to start rookie Tyson Bagent. For the Raiders, they have to decide between veteran Brian Hoyer and rookie Aidan O'Connell.

Neither is a particularly inspiring choice. Hoyer replaced an injured Garoppolo in Week 6 against the New England Patriots. He led the team on two field goal drives, helping them to beat one of the NFL's worst teams.

O'Connell started against the Los Angeles Chargers, a game which the Raiders lost.

Hoyer came to the Raiders after the New England Patriots cut him in the offseason. He couldn't beat out Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe. Not very inspiring.

So, we either have a battle of undrafted rookie (Bagent) vs. fourth-round pick rookie (O'Connell) or UDFA vs. 16-year veteran Brian Hoyer who is 0-9 in his last nine starts dating back to 2017.

Yikes.

Tyson Bagent figures to start for the Chicago Bears in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Tyson Bagent figures to start for the Chicago Bears in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

That's easily the worst QB matchup of Week 7. However, thanks to general terrible quarterback play across the NFL this season, it's not the worst by as large of a margin as it should be.

Here are some other "highlight" matchups on Sunday:

Anthony Richardson is headed for season-ending surgery so the Indianapolis Colts turn to Minshew for the remainder of the season. On Sunday, he's likely matching up against PJ Walker. Walker started for the injured Deshaun Watson for the Browns in Week 6 and figures to start again in Week 7.

The Raiders-Bears matchup is worse, but Minshew and Walker are right there as far as how unwatchable both starting quarterbacks are in NFL games.

I would put those two in a tier of their own as far as the worst quarterback matchups in Week 7. Then, there's the next group that includes Sam Howell vs. Tyrod Taylor, assuming Daniel Jones misses the game for the Giants.

At least Howell is a starting quarterback, though probably not beyond this season. He's played OK, but that doesn't get it done in today's NFL. It's actually sad for him that he's the first starter to crack this list. As far as Taylor, he can't even audible properly. That's a bad sign.

Tyrod Taylor of the New York Giants reacts during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6.

Tyrod Taylor of the New York Giants reacts during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)

Finally, we have Desmond Ridder vs. Baker Mayfield. Admittedly, this doesn't belong in the same tier as either of the first three matchups. Both players are starters, but that's more of a commentary on just how many mediocre to below-average starting quarterbacks there are in the league.

Thankfully, all of these games are in the early-afternoon window on Sunday. That means the majority of football fans aren't going to be subjected to these bad matchups.

I recently complained about the overflow of games played in the early window on Sunday afternoons. The NFL could easily push a few more games back to create a more balanced schedule.

But, if teams are going to continue running these guys out at quarterback, I'm in favor of putting them on at the same time so fewer fans have to watch.

Tags
Written by
Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.