What Chase Daniel did in his first start in a Bears uniform last week — 27 completions on 37 attempts, 230 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 106.8 — was encouraging for a number of reasons that go beyond his stat line and the game result.
First and foremost: Daniel’s game was a sign of an ideal backup quarterback-playcaller relationship. Not only did Daniel execute the gameplan well, but coach Matt Nagy knew what plays he could and could not call. That kind of match isn’t a given with backup quarterbacks — certainly in Bears history, which recently saw the likes of Caleb Hanie and Jason Campbell steer the team out of playoff contention in 2011 and 2012, respectively.