After missing four weeks due to a dislocated thumb, Justin Fields was as good as the Bears could have hoped for until the very end in a 31-26 loss to the Lions on Sunday.There were no obvious traces of rust on him. As smoothly as he has all season, he integrated the run/pass component of his game. With a 105.2 passer rating, he totaled 273 yards of offense (104 passing, 169 running). And he finished without making any mistakes.
However, Luke Getsy, the offensive coordinator, didn’t even accept the “until the end” caveat.
Getsy said, “I thought he did a nice job through the end, especially with the layoff and not playing ball for a little while.” Mentally, I’m in the zone and prepared to go. That was a very divine moment. However, we were playing a very skilled football squad, so to be able to go out there and play the way he did, I felt like he gave us a decent chance to win.
Fields made progress upon his return, but not without a long-standing problem: managing to win a close game at the end. Fields shares responsibility for play-calling in Getsy’s offense, as has also been the case in his two seasons there. He should hold the ball and the game more than he does.
With 6:20 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Bears ahead 23–14, Fields had a 29-yard gain to the Lions’ 26-yard line. However, he only attempted one official pass in the fourth quarter, missing a close connection to rookie Tyler Scott on a third-and-nine with 2:51 remaining. But Fields had to have the ball in his hands, whether it was flying in the air or on the ground.
During the fourth-quarter collapse against the Lions, two plays in particular caught my attention. The Bears were driving for the game-winning score when they decided to go for a third-and-seven play from the Lions 23. Fields sent the ball to running back Roschon Johnson up the middle for a two-yard gain, but Cairo Santos had to settle for a 39-yard field goal. Additionally, Fields passed to Khalil Herbert on a zone read for a one-yard gain on second-and-10 after the Lions had driven for a score, which set up Scott’s deep incompletion.
Fields seemed to have the choice to toss it to DJ Moore or take it himself on Johnson’s run. Johnson accepted it after he was tripped up near the line, saying it was a difficult break.
Coach Matt Eberflus remarked, “We love those plays down there.” “We believed we could break that. Fields had the opportunity to deviate from the situation, but he chose to pass it off. I believe [Alex Anzalone] was there, ready to receive him. We believed he could pull that one off.
Fields’ 29-yard gain came after two runs in a row. To be fair, at that point in the game, it looked like a field goal would be enough to win.
Earlier in the game, we used Roschon to get the first down and called a run on third-and-[five]. We did it correctly,” Getsy remarked. Sometimes you’re also basing those choices on the circumstances. Would you like to start the clock? Are you in range for a field goal already? Are you concerned that a pressure may be approaching? Whatever it is, the opposing side of the field is also a player in this chess match.
“We were pleased with every call we made [after Fields’ 29-yard gain]. Which two of them do I want to reclaim? Yes, I do. I would really like to, as I am aware of what they did and how they undoubtedly defended us.
In hindsight, the transfer to Herbert for the subsequent series also appeared excessively cautious. Fields nearly always appears to be the better choice when he has the ball in his hands. But it most likely was in this instance.
However, Fields is still learning how to make the snap judgments about whether to keep it or give it away. Furthermore, it’s probably more innate than taught.
Fields isn’t your typical read-option quarterback, though. He typically has the fastest game speed on the field. Because he’s Justin Fields, sometimes he’s better off retaining it even when the book says to hand it off.
Getsy stated, “Telling the quarterback to make the decision on it is not exactly a scientific process.” “I believe there are many instances during that game [where] you would ask, ‘Why did you keep that?’ if you were coaching it. But occasionally, the question is, who is that person, and who are you? You also need to experience your feelings. Additionally, I believe Justin made the proper choice. The rest of the play needs to be performed more skillfully, and we will.
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