It was almost the triumphant moment when the underdog came back from the brink. Justin Fields was having a near-perfect afternoon on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. He completed his first 16 passes in a row, setting a new Chicago Bears franchise record. By the 4th quarter, he’d cracked 300 yards passing for the first time in his career and threw four touchdowns. Everything was going his way. Then it all fell apart. Fields committed two brutal turnovers in the game’s final minutes, enabling the Broncos to rally from 21 points down to steal the victory.
Fields reportedly sat in his uniform long after the game ended, staring into space. He was clearly stunned at what had just happened. Some people who weren’t stunned, though, were the Broncos. While Fields’ excellent passing display did catch them by surprise, they knew their opportunity to turn the tables would come. One comment from a Broncos defender to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune summed it up to painful perfection.
That’s when things fell apart for the Bears, and the Broncos executed their No. 1 objective for the week.
“Thirty-one fumbles going into our game,” one player said in the locker room, referring to Fields’ career total. “No. 1 emphasis. That was it.”
While the game plan to stop the run was foiled, that coaching point was spot on.
They knew if they got Fields in the right situation, he would give the ball up. Why? Because he’s done it his entire career.
Justin Fields hasn’t been able to escape his past.
This stigma of untimely turnovers is not something that started in Chicago, mind you. They’ve followed Fields since college. He had two interceptions in the second half against Clemson in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl, including one in the 4th quarter. Fields has seven turnovers in 2023. Five of them have come in the 4th quarter. Teams know that if they get some pressure on him in a tight game, he’s going to give the ball away. That is what stings more than anything. They’re right, and Fields hasn’t been able to do anything about it.
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His ball security remains near the bottom among starting quarterbacks in the NFL. He has 32 fumbles and 26 interceptions. There is no explaining that away with coaching. Justin Fields is too reckless with the ball. Defenses know this and are gearing their entire game plans around exploiting it. That is how Denver managed their comeback. It might be time to accept this is who Fields is. He will never learn how to properly protect the football. The only way to counter it is by hoping he improves his touchdown output while the defense becomes better at getting stops.
