It’s amazing how people can define the career of a young quarterback after one game. A game he didn’t start and spent limited time during the week preparing to play. Justin Fields had expected to get a few looks during the Cincinnati Bengals game with Andy Dalton taking the majority of the snaps. Things were going fine. Then late in the 1st half, Dalton came up limping after a scramble out of bounds. A knee injury was the diagnosis, later revealed to be a bone bruise.
Just like that, with zero fanfare, Fields was out there taking the snaps. The end result? Fine. There were mistakes. A strip-sack fumble. A bad interception to a linebacker. A few incompletions he missed due to being a tick late with his eyes. That said, he also threw some absolute dimes including two that were dropped. He also delivered the crucial play of the game, scrambling for a 1st down on 3rd and 9 to maintain possession after Cincinnati had scored twice in the previous couple of minutes.
Under the circumstances, it was enough.
Plenty of people were quick to voice their displeasure. They felt Fields looked awful. He’s supposed to be the savior. Where were the highlights? Former Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark wasn’t thinking about any of that. His thoughts on the performance were instead about the aura the rookie exuded. He stated on Get Up ESPN that the Bengals game proved one thing above all else to him. Fields has everything required to thrive in Chicago. Especially between the ears.
This is a tough city to play in. Especially for a quarterback given the obvious history of this team. What separates Fields as Clark says is his toughness, his fearlessness, and the self-confidence to handle and overcome adversity. Not to mention his obvious talent. These are all things previous Bears QBs didn’t have enough of.
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Justin Fields has his chance to seize the moment
The initial word on Dalton with the bone bruise is he could miss multiple weeks. He narrowly avoided tearing his ACL. It is a painful injury that requires time to heal. That means Fields will start next Sunday in Cleveland and probably at least the next week against Detroit as well. This is a proper window of opportunity for him. Matt Nagy said Dalton remains the starter when healthy, but the rookie can change that if he shows improvement.
His first test will be a big one. The Cleveland Browns will host the Bears on Sunday. Many view them as a Super Bowl contender in the AFC. They field a talented defense headlined by star pass rusher Myles Garrett. Justin Fields will have to be on his toes all game long. He can’t afford to hold the ball at times as he tended to against the Bengals. These are the sort of educational moments every young quarterback gets in the NFL.
Fields knows that and isn’t afraid of it.
If anything, he wants that pressure. He wants that responsibility. As he keeps saying. He’s made for this. The mistakes won’t define him. He’ll learn from them and use them to make himself a better football player. Something he did in college on a regular basis. If Nagy doesn’t find a way to blow it, this young man will be a hit in Chicago.