If the magnitude of the moment ever hit Tyson Bagent — a small-town kid from West Virginia making his first NFL start for the Chicago Bears — the 23-year-old quarterback seemed far more appreciative than overwhelmed on Sunday.

That was true leading up to the game. It was true during the Bears’ impressive 30-12 trouncing of the Las Vegas Raiders at Soldier Field. And it was true for 11 minutes afterward when the undrafted rookie from Division II Shepherd University came to his postgame news conference and attempted to describe the entire experience.

Nervous?

“Uh, yeah,” Bagent confirmed. “Yeah.”

Until he wasn’t.

“I feel like I settled in after the first snap. But really, I feel like I feel really nervous the entire week until we get on the field pregame. And then it usually goes away.”

That’s when Bagent’s confidence typically kicks in, an infectious quality embedded in his DNA.

“I feel like I’ve played like a million games at quarterback,” he said. “I was able to win the job in high school my sophomore year. And then I started every game through my senior year in college. So that’s seven years of starting, of understanding what a week of preparation looks like and going through pretty much every (pass) concept and run concept there is.

“Repetition is the mother of all learners. And I’ve been blessed to have a lot of repetition in my life.”

Yep, there was Bagent after Sunday’s win looking every bit like a young dude fresh out of college just trying to make his way in the professional world. He wore a pair of ripped jeans, a plain white NOBULL T-shirt and a navy beanie. And his best estimate for how many friends and family members came to watch him play was “a lot.”

“My paycheck probably won’t look the same this week,” he said. “Yeah. I had a lot of people here.”

Whoever it was and wherever they sat, they were among the 62,199 fans who watched the Bears put together arguably their most complete performance all season.

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Running back D’Onta Foreman scored all three of the Bears’ offensive touchdowns, totaling 120 yards from scrimmage after being a healthy scratch in Weeks 2-5.

Cornerback Jaylon Johnson had two interceptions in a span of 74 seconds, the first resulting in a 39-yard touchdown return.

The defense was locked in once again, contributing three takeaways, allowing only 39 rushing yards and stymieing the Raiders on third down (2-for-9).

The offensive line — utilizing its sixth different starting combination in seven games — controlled the line of scrimmage all day with the Bears piling up 173 rushing yards.

And Bagent? Well, Bagent handled the whole “game management” responsibility well as the Bears never trailed and held a lead of at least 11 points for the final two-and-a-half-quarters.

Bagent didn’t turn the ball over, was sacked just once and helped propel touchdown drives of 69, 34 and 88 yards.

The last was a third-quarter submission hold by the Bears, a 15-play march that ate up 8 minutes and 18 seconds and provided a 21-3 lead. That series ended with Bagent’s first career touchdown pass — 5 yards to Foreman on third-and-goal on a quick and decisive check-down with Darnell Mooney, Cole Kmet and Foreman all in pattern to the quarterback’s right.

“Really I could have probably thrown it to either (D’Onta) or Mooney,” Bagent said. “But there was enough space. And the focal point this week was ‘Get the ball out of your hands.’ So it was easy. Especially with how he was playing today. Get it to him, let him break a tackle.”

Indeed, Foreman’s presence was an energizing force for Bagent and the offense all afternoon. He found space. He ran hard. He was productive.

“D’Onta played out of his mind today,” Bagent said.

Foreman did all that with the ideal mindset after contributing just 81 total yards through the season’s first six games but keeping himself ready for when he was needed.

“My faith has always been high in God,” Foreman said. “He has always been there for me and helped me overcome a lot of things I have been through. I’m just trying to continue to be the best that I can be and to continue to grow as a football player and as a person and continue to dominate when I get my opportunities.”

Even Johnson took note of how Foreman’s gritty production enlivened the Bears.

“To me and for us, we believe in him and we felt like he should have been getting the ball from jump,” Johnson said. “He was (almost) a 1,000-yard rusher last year. And we know he can play this game at a high level.”

As compliments were shared all around an excited and satisfied Bears locker room, Foreman made sure to laud Bagent’s command and calm, even if the rookie quarterback’s passing stat line (21-for-29, 162 yards) was far from spectacular.

“He was himself,” Foreman said. “It wasn’t anything different from what we have seen through preseason up until now. We expected him to be that guy who did what he did today.”

There will be an obvious temptation to draw grand conclusions from Bagent’s first start and to begin debating how the rookie’s strengths and weaknesses as a quarterback match up to the teammate he filled in for Sunday, Justin Fields.

Those conversations promise to amplify and will, quite frankly, become pretty outlandish across Chicago as the Bears march toward a Week 8 road trip to play the Los Angeles Chargers.

It’s still possible Fields’ dislocated right thumb will heal fast enough for him to start the next game. But even if he does — or if he doesn’t — it shouldn’t cloud what happened Sunday for Bagent, who labeled the experience as “amazing.”

“Soldier Field was off the chain today,” he said.

Finding a moment or two to soak everything in proved intoxicating.

“Where I come from,” Bagent said, “I have a bunch of friends, a bunch of family who understand and who understood how big this was really just in life. Not a lot of people get to say they started an NFL game let alone win an NFL game. So I definitely had a lot of those conversations today.

“I think the (coaching) staff understood it too and the players. That’s why everybody rallied behind me as well as they did.”

DJ Moore, who caught a team-high eight passes for 54 yards, appreciated the efficiency of his rookie quarterback.

“He stayed within himself,” Moore said. “He didn’t try to do the extraordinary. He just stayed calm, cool and collected and did what he had to do.”

Added guard Teven Jenkins: “You could tell he was very comfortable out there. The way he was moving around the pocket, moving away from pressure, he looked really good.”

With a veteran’s focus, Bagent soaked in Sunday’s triumph while also vocalizing a directive for the entire team. “Let’s get back on the horse.”

Then, in a grounded and thankful tone, Bagent added a little more introspection as he processed his storybook day.

“Football,” he said, “gives me the ability to let loose. I don’t know how loud I would be in my life if I didn’t have football. It kind of gives me that alleyway to scream and shout. It helps me out. And I hope that infiltrates the minds of the people around me and kind of gives them that same feeling.”

For one feel-good fall afternoon, everything seemed to be fun and vibrant for the Bears.

“Whenever you can just be excited and be happy that you’re able to play football and everybody plays like it, you get kind of what happened today,” Bagent said.

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The Ravens played their best game of the season to rout the Detroit Lions, 38-6. The Cardinals fell to 1-6 with a 20-10 road loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Who will have the advantage Sunday?

Ravens passing game vs. Cardinals pass defense

Lamar Jackson played one of the best games of his career against the Lions, completing 21 of 27 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns. He made use of excellent pass protection from a healthy offensive line, patiently waiting for his receivers to pop open and finding them with pinpoint accuracy. Even when the Lions did pinch in on him, Jackson danced away from trouble and identified the right target. He used the threat of runs to draw the defense to him, then beat it with throws into abandoned spaces. Six Ravens, including fullback Patrick Ricard and running back Gus Edwards, caught passes of 20 yards or longer. For all that wondrous variety, tight end Mark Andrews (five touchdowns, 19 first downs on 28 catches) and wide receiver Zay Flowers (at least 50 receiving yards in every game) have settled in as Jackson’s most consistent targets. After a cold spell in the red zone, the Ravens scored touchdowns five of the six times they reached it. They’re also fifth in the league with a 46.3% conversion rate on third down.

The Cardinals cannot be happy to see Jackson coming to town after Seattle’s Geno Smith beat them efficiently, completing 18 of 24 for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Arizona has the league’s second worst pass defense by DVOA, allowing 6.8 yards per pass attempt. The Cardinals blitz on just 20.9% of dropbacks and rank last in pressure percentage, per Pro-Football-Reference, a bad formula against Jackson. Outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck has been their most productive pass rusher with four sacks and six quarterback hits. Marco Wilson and rookie Kei’Trel Clark grade among the most vulnerable cornerbacks in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker requested a trade earlier this year but played every snap against the Seahawks after spending the previous four weeks on injured reserve.

EDGE: Ravens

Cardinals passing game vs. Ravens pass defense

The Cardinals have slightly exceeded expectations as they wait for franchise quarterback Kyler Murray to return from a torn ACL. They activated Murray but are expected to take their time ramping him up to start. That means the Ravens will see Joshua Dobbs, who has averaged a meager 5.9 yards per attempt with six touchdown passes and three interceptions in seven starts. The Ravens will take on a familiar face in Dobbs’ top target, Marquise Brown, who leads the Cardinals with 32 catches, 383 yards and three touchdowns. Rookie Michael Wilson has been a productive complement to Brown, averaging 16.3 yards per catch. Dobbs frequently targeted veteran tight end Zach Ertz, but he went on injured reserve this week. Arizona’s offensive linemen don’t grade well as pass blockers, according to Pro Football Focus, but Dobbs has taken a modest 15 sacks.

He’ll take on a Ravens defense that leads the league with 29 sacks after piling up five more against Detroit. They succeeded in disrupting quarterback Jared Goff’s rhythm early, using the stunts and simulated pressures that have worked so well for them all season. Those 29 sacks have come from 12 players, so opponents don’t know where to look for the next rush. Defensive tackle Justin Madubuike has led the parade with 5 1/2 sacks. The Ravens were thrilled to see outside linebacker Odafe Oweh return with a sack and a forced fumble after he missed the previous four games because of an ankle sprain. Safety Geno Stone, filling in for the injured Marcus Williams, leads the league with four interceptions. The secondary has exceeded expectations, with cornerbacks Brandon Stephens, Ronald Darby and Rock Ya-Sin covering well as Marlon Humphrey works back to peak form. After their dominant performance against the Lions, the Ravens rank first in pass defense DVOA.

EDGE: Ravens

Ravens running game vs. Cardinals run defense

The Ravens also ran more efficiently against Detroit with 146 yards on 27 attempts and touchdowns from Jackson and Edwards. They rank third in the league in rushing and eighth in yards per attempt and hope those numbers will continue to point up with all five starting offensive linemen playing together. Jackson is running slightly more often than he did last season but averaging a career-low 5.3 yards per attempt. He’s as likely to use his legs to extend passing plays as he is to take off. Jackson slammed his helmet on the sideline after a botched exchange with running back Justice Hill, their third of the season, deprived the Ravens of another chance to score on the Lions.

The Cardinals don’t defend the run well either, allowing 4.4 yards per carry and ranking 29th in rush defense DVOA. Linebacker Kyzir White is their top tackler, but defensive tackles Jonathan Ledbetter and Leki Fotu have played poorly. The Cardinals gave up 179 rushing yards to the Los Angeles Rams and 185 to the Dallas Cowboys.

EDGE: Ravens

Cardinals running game vs. Ravens run defense

This was the Cardinals’ strength until running back James Conner went on injured reserve. Their new No. 1, rookie Emari Demercado, rushed for 58 yards on 13 carries against Seattle. Dobbs has averaged 5.7 yards on six attempts per game. They also use wide receiver Rondale Moore as a change of pace, and he has averaged 9.1 yards on 15 carries. The Cardinals have rushed for at least 100 yards six games in a row, peaking at 222 in their upset win over Dallas.

The Ravens have been more vulnerable against the run than the pass, a surprise given the excellence of linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen and the interior power provided by Michael Pierce and Travis Jones. It’s not as if they’ve been bad, allowing 4.2 yards per carry. Opponents have played from behind for most of the season, so the Ravens have not been tested by many committed ground attacks. That could change in Arizona. Smith missed practice Wednesday because of a shoulder injury.

EDGE: Even

Ravens special teams vs. Cardinals special teams

Aside from a short kickoff that did not work, the Ravens avoided special teams mishaps against the Lions. With their offense moving so efficiently, they did not have a lot of work to do on this front. Justin Tucker has made 12 of 14 field goal attempts, with his misses coming from 59 and 61 yards. They rank 18th in special teams DVOA, thanks mostly to their early-season struggles in punt coverage.

The Cardinals, also held down by inconsistent coverage, rank one spot below the Ravens. They gave up a 32-yard punt return in their loss to Seattle. Kicker Matt Prater has made 13 of 15 field goal attempts. Greg Dortch hasn’t made much impact as a returner, averaging 7.4 yards on punts and 17.6 on kickoffs.

EDGE: Ravens

Ravens intangibles vs. Cardinals intangibles

As soon as the Ravens finished off the Lions, they started with their refrain of “on to Arizona.” They know this could be a classic letdown game after their dominant win over Detroit invited a deluge of praise. Jackson, who seemed less than blown away by their performance, has rarely lost to significant underdogs. The Ravens will have to deal with another long trip two weeks after they played in London, but coach John Harbaugh joked that travel fatigue is just a state of mind.

The Cardinals have lost four in a row, all by at least 10 points, for first-year coach Jonathan Gannon, who was the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator last season. They’re waiting for Murray’s return as speculation builds that they might draft a quarterback with the high pick they’re certain to earn. They did upset the Cowboys at home, so there’s some life in them.

EDGE: Ravens

Prediction

Letdown or no letdown, the Ravens will go into Arizona with a significant talent advantage. Jackson will have plenty of time to find open targets against a defense that struggles to create pressure. The Cardinals, with just 55 points in their past four games, won’t have the firepower to keep up. Ravens 31, Cardinals 16

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The leader of the influential California Labor Federation rocked Sacramento’s political establishment last fall when she suggested a blacklist for consultants who run afoul of unions.

Lorena Gonzalez, a progressive powerhouse who had stepped down as a state lawmaker to head the venerated Labor Federation AFL-CIO, argued consultants can’t get paid to bust unions and take on fights against workers and then expect to benefit from members’ money. And her stance won praise from some allies in labor.

So it was a head-snapping development inside several of the unions when Gonzalez quietly tapped her own longtime political strategist, one-time Willie Brown fixer Richie Ross, to formally consult for the Labor Federation. Ross had helped some of the state’s biggest corporate employers defeat a generational union-backed push in 2020 to raise property taxes on big businesses, which would have sent billions a year to schools and local governments.

In the weeks and months since he joined the Labor Federation, no fewer than eight high-level people directly connected to the group and broader labor world aired their discomfort and frustration with the arrangement to POLITICO. Several contend Gonzalez’s decision to hire Ross smacked of hypocrisy, arguing his past work makes him a poster boy for any boycott members had contemplated.

“She has put on the Labor Federation’s payroll a guy who has worked against the Labor Federation — just because she wants him there,” said a high-ranking labor official in Sacramento, who was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. “And she’s doing this as she’s vilifying everybody else in town about their lack of purity.”

Gonzalez said in an interview that the Labor Federation has a formal process for placing consultants on its so-called “Do Not Patronize” list. If any of the unions want to put Ross on the list, she said, they can propose to do so.

“No one has done so,” Gonzalez added. She declined further comment.

Ross offered a three-word quote, in Spanish, to express how little the backlash mattered to him.

“No me importa,” he said.

Anxiety over Ross’ hire represents an exceedingly rare public eruption among California’s guarded labor unions. Disputes over personnel and strategy are often closely held, and several union leaders and advisers described their decision to speak out as a last resort to convey their exasperation — albeit mostly anonymously. Their moves also hint at broader tensions among leadership, and with Gonzalez, as unions collectively flex their political muscle amid another banner year in California’s Democratic-controlled statehouse.

Balding and bespectacled, Ross is the quintessential Sacramento throwback, patrolling the marble halls of the Capitol to coax, cajole and outright bully staffers and lawmakers alike into supporting his favored bills. With his unusual dual roles as lobbyist and political consultant, sometimes the legislators he is trying to influence are his own clients.

His deep institutional knowledge has yielded results for labor clients, like winning health care coverage for members of the United Farm Workers. Among his other union ties are the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFSCME, UNITE HERE, California Nurses, and several union-oriented lawmakers.

But he’s also helped lead campaigns that were on the opposite side of labor’s biggest and most expensive priorities. And his firm has lobbied against legislation supported by unions.

Ross has spent decades working on behalf of the oil industry — a divisive force in labor regarded by certain trade unions and more conservative members as a crucial partner in creating jobs but viewed by progressives and some public sector workers as out of step with their values. In 2020, the year Ross worked on the successful campaign to fight commercial real estate tax hikes in Proposition 15, he also helped to block an initiative to end cash bail, another union priority.

In both cases, Ross was taking on two labor powerhouses: Service Employees International Union and the California Teachers Association. CTA’s Issues PAC and SEIU State Council spent a combined $25.3 million in support of Proposition 15, which received another roughly $5.3 million from SEIU Local 2015 and SEIU 1021. The measure also was backed by AFSCME, UNITE HERE and the California Federation of Teachers.

“CFT has been on the opposite [side] of Richie’s firm a few times on some very primary issues of CFT’s — teacher due process and Prop. 15,” Jeffery Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers, said in an interview.

“Under my leadership,” Freitas added, “CFT will never hire Richie Ross.”

SEIU spent another $500,000 on the failed bail reform effort.

Another top leader in the Labor Federation summed up Ross’ involvement in the organization as akin to inviting a stranger with mixed financial motives to a seat at the table.

“Richie has experience and knows the business. He has great relationships. He’s smart. He’s strategic. He’s thoughtful. So he’s not a bad person to have on your team,” the labor leader said. “But you can’t trust somebody on your team if they’re also playing with the other side.”

Concerns over Ross coming aboard the Labor Federation had been bubbling up for months earlier this year. On June 9, the secretary of state’s filings first listed him as a lobbyist to the sprawling labor organization where Gonzalez is executive secretary-treasurer. Filings through June 30, the latest available, show Ross was paid $2,000 for the three-week period.

By the time Ross officially came on board, Gonzalez had already publicly put Democratic consultants on notice: Work for companies that run counter to organized labor’s goals could land them on a union blacklist. That she was reviewing procedures to kickstart the process as head of the influential labor organization made up of some 1,300 unions and millions of members across manufacturing, retail, construction, health care and other industries grabbed the attention of Sacramento insiders.

Recent chatter about a union blacklist reached a fever pitch after Gonzalez came into her new role in 2022. Gonzalez reiterated her point when her organization defended Assembly candidate and Alameda labor leader Liz Ortega-Toro against campaign tactics by housing industry groups. “Strong women of color are too often the targets of this type of ugly politics,” Gonzalez said at the time.

The Labor Federation news release added that those who violate the basic values upheld by the labor movement will be held accountable by any means necessary, including being placed on a “Do Not Patronize” list.

“You can’t get paid to union bust or take on fights against workers and ALL of labor & expect to turn around and benefit from our members’ money,” Gonzalez wrote on social media weeks earlier. Despite the warning, the federation has not formally blacklisted anyone under her leadership and has received no formal proposals to do so.

“Do not hire” lists sit squarely at the intersection where ideological fissures and the lucrative business of politics collide. After a string of upstarts ousted congressional incumbents in the 2018 cycle, the House Democrats’ campaign arm refused to work with any vendor that had contracted with the challengers. The committee backed away from its policy after less than two years amid backlash from the party’s progressive wing.

Similar blacklists have cropped up sporadically in California. In one widely-publicized 2013 spat, the Labor Federation announced it was placing six consultants on a “Do Not Hire” list for their work for two Democrats who successfully beat Assembly incumbents from their party. Among them was now-state Sen. Steve Glazer, who managed former Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2010 campaign and worked the following cycle with the Chamber of Commerce.

That blacklist, along with others enforced during recent state campaigns, ultimately fizzled out, as consultants petitioned to get back into labor’s good graces, or at least out of its proverbial doghouse. Still, the tactic has been a well-worn tool to send a message for those who deviate from the party line.

Glazer said the practice of compiling such lists is “a form of righteousness.”

“We’ve seen a demand for purity rip apart the Republicans in Congress and we continue to see it with those that underpin the Democrats’ supermajority in California,” Glazer said. “Any movement that excludes people who don’t always agree with them risks losing the broad support they need to succeed. ”

Gonzalez has been quick to register disgust when members of her party take on clients she feels undermine the workers’ cause. When the American Prospect magazine reported in August that Minyon Moore, chair of the Democratic National Convention, is a principal at a firm that did work for labor nemeses such as Lyft and Tenet Healthcare, Gonzalez reposted the article on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“This is gross,” she wrote.

Her post was later deleted, but not before it caught the eye of some California Democrats. Moore is one of the most influential Black women in the party, and it did not sit well with some observers that Gonzalez was swiping at a woman of color for the provenance of her paycheck — particularly when Ross, her political consultant, didn’t engender the same public disapproval.

A third labor official focused on the Moore tweet, saying it gave the appearance that, “If you’re a white guy, the same criticisms don’t apply than if you’re a person of color,” the official said. “And that was the dangerous part about putting that message out there.”

To Gonzalez’s detractors, the tweet about Moore put an exclamation point on the months of simmering discontent about her hiring of Ross.