The Philadelphia Eagles defense has played great against many quarterbacks this year. They expected to do the same against the Chicago Bears. Everything pointed to them having a chance to pitch a shutout. Injuries had ravaged the Bears’ lineup even before kickoff, and it only got worse as both right guard Teven Jenkins and wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown left in the 1st quarter. Easy money. Except the Eagles didn’t count on Justin Fields. They’d heard he was a great talent, but they weren’t ready for what he’d put them through.
Chicago’s young quarterback overcame the issues around him to throw for 152 yards, two touchdowns and rushed for another 95 yards on the afternoon. The Bears scored 20 points and came dangerously close to upsetting the NFC powerhouse. This is despite Philadelphia sacking him six times. It didn’t seem to matter how many times they got to him. Fields kept getting up and giving them fits on the next play or series. That performance won the respect of several top Eagles members, including edge rusher Haason Reddick, cornerback Darius Slay, and head coach Nick Sirianni.
Justin Fields is Michael Jordan in the mid-1980s.
No, this is not saying he’s going to eventually become the greatest of all time. It is an example of situations. When Jordan arrived in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, he landed on a team that wasn’t good. They finished with losing records in each of his first three years with the organization. People often forget that. Most of the success the team had was due to Jordan’s outstanding individual talent. It took some time for the Bulls to finally start surrounding him with a great supporting cast led by John Paxson, Scottie Pippen, and Horace Grant.
That is where the Bears sit right now. They have their Jordan in Justin Fields. That singular elite talent who can elevate everybody around him. The challenge now for GM Ryan Poles is building up the offense around him. Once Fields has two or three co-stars alongside him, this team should start winning a lot more football games. It comes down to hard work, patience, and a little luck. The 2023 off-season is going to be fascinating. Until then, Fields must continue to grow and find a way to stay healthy.
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