The Chicago Bears traded up to draft quarterback Justin Fields, who was considered the best player in this year’s class. However, there is a catch–Fields is only 20 years old and has never played college football. He also hasn’t started a game since high school.
Justin Fields, the highly-touted quarterback prospect who has been drawing comparisons to Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, is in Chicago for a pre-draft visit.
After selecting Justin Fields in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears faced a quarterback controversy during the summer. Andy Dalton was signed over the summer, and despite the fact that most people expected Fields to be the starter, Bears head coach Matt Nagy started Dalton.
However, due to an unlucky injury to Dalton, Fields was able to earn the starting job sooner than anticipated. By all accounts, his first professional start against the Cleveland Browns was a flop. In the Bears’ 26-6 defeat, he was 6-for-20 for 68 yards and no touchdowns. Fields was designated the starting for the game against the Detroit Lions because Dalton was unable to play due to a persistent knee ailment.
Fields led the Bears to a 24-14 win against the Lions, giving Bears supporters exactly what they wanted. However, it’s essential to note that Detroit boasts one of the league’s weakest defenses.
In Chicago’s victory against the Lions, Justin Fields had a strong performance.
On October 3, 2021, in Chicago, Illinois, Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears throws the ball against the Detroit Lions in the first half at Soldier Field. | Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
On Sunday afternoon, against the Lions at Soldier Field, the Ohio State product appeared to forget about his catastrophic first NFL start and get back on track. And it was the ideal chance for Fields to put up some numbers (and build some confidence) against a bad defense.
The fact that Dalton was out was probably precisely what most Chicago supporters wanted. Nagy would have started the veteran gunslinger if it hadn’t been for his injury. Instead, it was Fields, who, based on his performance against Detroit, seems to be the team’s starting for the remainder of the season.
He completed 11 of 17 throws for 209 yards and one interception on the day. While Fields didn’t throw a touchdown pass, he did make several great plays, and the Bears’ offense was obviously more fluid with him in charge than it was with Dalton.
Darnell Mooney became the first Chicago pass-catcher this season to finish with 100 yards or more, giving the Bears their first 100-yard wide receiver. Allen Robinson had three receptions for 63 yards, while Mooney had five catches for 125 yards.
David Montgomery had a career-high 23 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns, but he was forced to leave the game in the second half due to a knee injury.
Despite his lackluster numbers, Fields made several huge plays, and this offense had its most productive day of the season with him at the helm.
Matt Nagy just got a pat on the back from the Lions defense.
Yes, the Lions’ defense is bad, and it’s getting worse now that Jamie Collins is gone. To begin the new era under head coach Dan Campbell, they are at the bottom in almost every defensive metric. Their first three opponents before playing the Bears were the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and Baltimore Ravens, so it wasn’t exactly a stroll in the park. And they let up 31.7 points a game on average in those three games, which tied them for worst in the NFL.
As a result, this was the ideal chance for Nagy and Chicago to acclimate Fields to the NFL level of play. As a result, the Bears were able to win their second game of the season despite Fields’ absence. The youngster seemed much more at ease than he did in his first start against the Browns, and he launched a couple of spectacular throws down the field.
Fields would have most likely been carrying a clipboard against the Lions if Dalton hadn’t been injured, and who knows what the outcome would have been.
Going ahead, will it be Fields or Dalton?
Now it’s time to ask the question that’s been on everyone’s mind: Justin Fields or Andy Dalton?
There has been no clarification at all up to this time. Nagy said earlier this week that the starting quarterback will be decided on Sunday morning. Fields was designated the starter on Saturday after Dalton was ruled out (Nick Foles was the other option), but the quarterback “controversy” is causing a lot of headaches for Bears fans and offensive playmakers alike.
With the next three games against the Las Vegas Raiders, Green Bay Packers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bears’ schedule tightens significantly. Fields may be in for a harsh awakening if he is designated the starter when Dalton is healthy, since the Bears play the 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers before their bye week.
Nonetheless, Nagy must keep the fans – and the players – pleased by handing Fields the keys to the vehicle. Things will only get better from here, and the more repetitions the youngster receives, the more at ease he will be, and the better the Bears’ prospects will be in the future.
Pro Football Reference provided the statistics.
RELATED: Matt Nagy Gives a Perplexing Update on the Chicago Bears’ QB Situation, Doubling Justin Fields’ Chances of Being Named Full-Time Starter
The bears wire is a story about how Justin Fields, the quarterback of the Ohio State Buckeyes, has been traded to the Chicago Bears. It was a move that many fans were excited for and it came with an asterisk.
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