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Inspired by Russell Wilson, quarterback Justin Fields flashed the skills that made him the No. 11 overall pick in the draft. That was precisely what the Chicago Bears needed.
Fields brushed off a nightmarish first start, and the Bears bounced back from one of the worst offensive performances in NFL history to beat the still winless Detroit Lions 24-14 on Sunday at Soldier Field.
Fields and the Bears (2-2) were in much better form, coming off a brutal loss to the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium last week. They scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and rang up 373 total yards.
Last Sunday, against the Browns, the Bears gained 68 yards on air and 46 on the ground, totalling 114 yards. But the team lost 67 yards on nine sacks, so they were held by the Browns to a grand total of 47 yards, the ninth-lowest total in NFL history.
The Bears QB Fields stated that he did not feel too bad about the previous week as it pushed the team towards improvement.
"I saw Russell Wilson posted a tweet this past week saying, 'I love adversity,' and I truly do love that because it just brings a whole different person out of me. And in some ways, I'm glad last week happened. I think if we would've won last week, it wouldn't have pushed us as much to get better and practice hard."
Fields looked more comfortable, completing 11 of 17 passes for 209 yards in his second consecutive start with Andy Dalton sidelined because of a bone bruise in his left knee.
The former Ohio State star threw an interception. But he was also sacked just once, a significant improvement after being taken down nine times for 67 yards while throwing for just 68 the previous week.
Was it enough to supplant Dalton as the No. 1 quarterback? Head coach Matt Nagy didn't say.
"All we wanted to do, quite honestly, today was win the game, go to 2-2 and be able to talk about everything else as we go. You guys know in regards to Andy, we're working through what he went through this past week, so we'll see where he's at."
The Bears HC declared after the game.
Dalton vs. Fields: numbers
Against the Los Angeles Rams, Andy Dalton started. He attempted 38 passes, completing 27 for 206 yards, one interception, and finished the day with a passer rating of 72.9. Dalton was sacked three times and lost 28 yards. He also ran twice for 13 yards.
Justin Fields attempted only two passes, completing both for 10 yards. He was not sacked and finished the game with a passer rating of 87.5. He ran once for three yards and a touchdown.
Against the Cincinnati Bengals, Dalton and Fields shared the game because of the knee injury to the former. Dalton attempted 11 passes in the first half, completing nine for 60 yards, one touchdown, and finished the game with a 118.2 passer rating. He was sacked once and lost 8 yards. Dalton also ran twice for 25 yards.
Fields attempted 13 passes in the second half, completing six for 60 yards, one interception, and ended the day with a passer rating of 27.7. He was sacked twice and lost 25 yards. He also ran ten times for 31 yards.
Against the Cleveland Browns, Fields started his first NFL match. He had a dreadful game, attempting 20 passes and completing only six for 68 yards. Fields did not throw interceptions or touchdowns. He finished the game with a 41.3 passer rating. The QB ran three times for 12 yards, and as previously mentioned, he was sacked nine times for a loss of 67 yards.
In his second start, Fields had a solid game against the Detroit Lions. He attempted 17 passes, completing 11 for 209 yards and one interception, finishing the day with an 82.7 passer rating. He was sacked once for a loss of 24 yards, and Fields also ran three times for nine yards.
Dalton is a veteran QB that has a well-established ceiling. Teams know what Dalton can do, and most importantly, what he cannot do. Conversely, Fields is still a mystery. He has tons of potential, and his ceiling is way higher than Dalton's. There will be terrible games, but this is part of growing. Nagy should declare Fields the starter and secure that the rookie is learning to be an NFL player.
