The Chicago Bears will host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Soldier Field as both teams will try to win their second game of the season. Justin Fields has a chance to be the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for four touchdowns in three consecutive games and could pick up his first win against the Minnesota Vikings in his career. Fields on Sunday has a chance to change a negative trend regarding his play against divisional opponents that has plagued him for two years.
Fields Has Yet To Have A Breakout Win Against Divisional Opponents
Through his first two seasons plus in the league, Fields has only recorded one victory in ten starts against the Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions. The lone victory for Chicago’s third-year quarterback came in his first start against a divisional opponent in October of 2021 at home against the Lions. Since the win over Detroit, Fields has lost ten consecutive divisional games, with all but one being by less than seven points.
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With many fans and NFL analysts believing that the Bears should draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams if the team lands the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, Fields needs to start to check boxes to provides reasons for staying in Chicago long-term. Although the Bears’ young quarterback started the season on a terrible note, he has rebounded to pass for over 600 yards and eight touchdowns in his last two starts. The next box Fields needs to check off is not only being able to beat a divisional opponent but also being the leading reason for those victories.
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The NFC North Division has had several players that have been driving forces in wins against other teams within the division. Some players include Vikings’ wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Lions’ defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, and former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Jefferson, for example, has torched Chicago’s defense in the six games he has played against them as the All-Pro wide receiver has recorded four 100-yard receiving days and has four catches or more in all six contests.
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Fields has yet to have a dominant performance, along with a win against any of the divisional opponents, as in his one win against the Lions back in 2021, he did not record a touchdown pass. Additionally, Chicago’s quarterback has never passed for three touchdowns in a divisional game. Fields’ best performance against a divisional foe was last November when he threw two touchdowns, rushed for two scores, and ran for over 147 yards but lost.
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For Fields to prove that he is the long-term solution for the Bears at the quarterback position, he has to start stacking quality performances in divisional games. A highlight win against the Vikings enables Chicago’s signal-caller to build momentum, as there are four divisional games left for the remainder of the 2023 season. Wins against the Vikings, Packers, and especially first-place Lions could allow Fields to prove that it may be in the Bears’ best interest to stick with him over drafting Williams.
Fields Can Force The Vikings Into A Rebuild With A Win On Sunday
Another critical aspect of why a win over the Vikings on Sunday is imperative is because a Minnesota loss could force the team to make long-term decisions regarding their future. If the Vikings lose to the Bears, they could be one and six with a week to go before the NFL trade deadline, as their opponent next week is the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. Minnesota’s quarterback Kirk Cousins is a free agent following this season and will be a prized trade commodity leading up to the deadline if the team appears unlikely to make it to the playoffs.
A win and a Vikings’ roster selloff would enable the Bears to win again when the two teams play one another in Minnesota on Monday Night Football in Week 12. Fields would have a chance to lead Chicago to sweep of a divisional opponent for the first time in his three-year career. A stellar performance late in the season in a nationally televised game against a divisional rival would provide further evidence that the Bears’ quarterback is the right person long-term.
Forcing the Vikings into a rebuild with a win on Sunday would set Fields up for better long-term success within the division, as it would give him favorable wins for the next few seasons if kept in Chicago. With Minnesota tearing their roster down and likely developing a rookie quarterback next season, the Bears could easily win their two 2024 games against the Vikings. Fields is slowly changing the debate about his future with Chicago, and he can make that debate even more difficult with a victory over a divisional opponent, something that has been severely missing from his resume.
