Chicago Bears QB rewind: Justin Fields displayed poise, instincts and patience in the romp at New England. Next up: Doing it with consistency.

Notice: Trying to get property 'post_title' of non-object in /home/ofzfvenynm4q/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-rss-feed-to-post/includes/wprss-ftp-display.php on line 109

Justin Fields’ fifth touchdown pass of the season was another one he didn’t fully see.

It was a simple concept, a quick-hit screen left designed to get Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert moving behind a wall of blockers. But immediately after the snap, New England Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise darted into the passing lane, disrupting Fields’ vision and timing. Alertly, Fields double-clutched, went into second baseman mode with his arm slot and steered his throw around Wise’s left side.

“We work on that in practice,” Fields said, “just maneuvering the screens around that D-end.”

It was a crafty throw followed by an easy catch.

Off Herbert went.

Yet as he went, Fields was face down on the Gillette Stadium turf, having been smushed between Wise and outside linebacker Matthew Judon and absorbing a nasty hit that left him with a welt above his left eye.

Fields never saw Herbert’s 25-yard sprint to the end zone. Nor did he even realize the running back had caught the pass.

“I got smacked on that play,” Fields said. “I didn’t know he scored until somebody came up and told me.”

And if you thought Wise and Judon were politely checking on Fields’ physical well-being and offering a little pick-me-up after their big hit, think again.

“They were arguing with me,” Fields said. “Because I went to the ref saying, like, ‘Where is the flag (for roughing the passer)?’ But they were yelling at me that that’s not a flag.”

Nope. No flag. But it was six points.

[ [Don’t miss] 23 unanswered points: How Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears offense found a game plan after 10 days of preparation ]

What a moment that was for the Bears. The 25-yard touchdown toss punctuated a 75-yard response drive after the Patriots, behind rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe, had scored 14 unanswered points in a little more than three minutes.

Fields’ pass to Herbert put the Bears ahead for the rest of the night, jump-starting a stretch during which the offense scored on five consecutive possessions on the way to a dominant 33-14 victory.

Was there anything especially remarkable about Fields’ lone touchdown pass? Maybe not. But it was another show of his playmaking instincts and his toughness to withstand a pounding.

It also was part of the Bears’ biggest scoring output since a 41-17 drubbing of the Jacksonville Jaguars in December 2020. This showing, though, felt more promising and meaningful.

“I’m just proud of the way everybody came in and executed,” Fields said.

Here’s your Week 7 QB rewind.

The nominee list this week was much, much longer than usual. But look no further than Fields’ 19-yard completion to Equanimeous St. Brown on third-and-9 in the first quarter as an example of poise leading to production. That sequence provided clear evidence of Fields’ pocket poise for much of the night.

He showed impressive patience and vision, surfing forward and then to the right through the pocket. As he avoided pressure from Judon and rolled right, his eyes continued scanning downfield, where he spotted St. Brown. Once he did, he threw a strike for a key first down that pushed the Bears into Patriots territory on the first of three touchdown drives.

[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Bears Q&A: Did Luke Getsy finally call a game to Justin Fields’ strengths? Will they be a buyer or seller at the trade deadline? ]

The Bears wound up converting 11 of 18 third downs, a 61.1% rate that was their best since going 8 of 13 against Washington in a Monday night win in September 2019. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy considers a 48% conversion rate his gold standard, noting that tops the NFL in most seasons. So it’s easy to assert that the Bears’ third-down productivity Monday pleased Getsy.

Within those 11 conversions were five Fields completions and five Fields runs.

“Every week we emphasize that,” Fields said Wednesday at Halas Hall. “We always say: situational execution. … I really think that’s carryover from practice.”

Fields’ 20-yard scramble on third-and-14 on the final drive of the first half was huge. That was followed three plays later by an off-script, 17-yard completion to Darnell Mooney on third-and-16, moving the Bears closer for Cairo Santos’ half-ending 23-yard field goal.

Fields also escaped pressure in the second half and drilled a 26-yard completion to Cole Kmet on third-and-7 on a possession that ended with Santos’ 50-yard field goal for a 26-14 lead. (More on that play shortly.)

Was it all perfect? No. Two of Fields’ biggest mistakes came on third down, including his second-quarter interception on a pass to St. Brown that was deflected near the line of scrimmage.

Fields also took a 9-yard sack and fumbled out of bounds on a third-and-10 play during which he held the ball for 7.2 seconds waiting for something to come open.

Still, an 11-for-18 third-down showing in a game in which the Bears scored six times is nothing to scoff at. Now it’s about building on that and making that kind of execution a consistent part of this offense.

Credit Getsy for flipping to a new tab in the Bears playbook after a long week of conversation and preparation. It was clear early that Getsy and the coaches felt confident turning Fields loose on a high volume of designed runs that left the Patriots strained and frustrated.

Sure, Fields’ most dazzling run may have been his scrambling magic for a 20-yard pickup on third-and-14 on the final drive of the first half. That was one of those adrenalizing tuck-and-run escape acts that confirm how lethal Fields can be when he’s improvising with his legs.

But that was the exception Monday. Ten of Fields’ 14 rushing attempts came on designed runs. There were three zone-read plays, two draws, two successful third-and-1 quarterback sneaks, a pair of keepers off jet sweep fakes and one quarterback sweep.

[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Bears dominate all 3 phases to end a 3-game skid. Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the 33-14 win over the New England Patriots. ]

Fields’ 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter simply asked him to use his athleticism and strength. After faking a speed sweep to Velus Jones Jr., Fields ran to his left, cut inside of Patriots cornerback Myles Bryant and then powered into the end zone. Cornerback Jack Jones made a business decision at the goal line and — with a 5-inch, 53-pound size disadvantage against Fields — steered away from contact.

That’s a snapshot of how valuable Fields’ combination of size and athleticism is.

He expressed satisfaction after the game with the package of designed runs.

“That brought a whole different element to our offense,” Fields said. “We executed that well.”

The challenge now will be continuing to blend those designed run concepts into each week’s plan while making a conscious effort to keep Fields safe.

Even during an encouraging performance in a winning effort, Fields’ ball security left reason for concern — hardly a good sign as the Bears prepare to face a Dallas Cowboys defense that has an NFL-best 29 sacks plus 12 takeaways during a 5-2 start.

For the second consecutive game, Fields had a pass batted at the line of scrimmage and intercepted, this one swatted into the air by Judon and picked off by Myles Bryant in the second quarter.

Fields also was charged with four fumbles — though the Bears were fortunate not to lose any. One was the fault of running back David Montgomery, who dropped a pitch from Fields in the first quarter. But Fields also fumbled at the end of that third-and-10 play in the second quarter during which he held the ball far too long without choosing either to tuck and run or to heave the football into the Patriots bench area.

[ [Don’t miss] GM Ryan Poles says learning how to finish will be the key to the Chicago Bears’ ascent: ‘We’re on the doorstep’ ]

He fumbled again late in the first half while trying to escape from Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings, dislodging the ball from his hands with his right knee.

There was another fumble on a mishandled snap in the third quarter.

In coach Matt Eberflus’ detail-oriented program, in which protecting the football is of high priority, those miscues were not acceptable.

“Ball security is No. 1,” Eberflus said Wednesday. “It’s important that everybody who handles the ball does a good job with the ball. That’s been brought to everybody’s attention.”

• The Bears’ longest passing play was that 26-yard scramble-drill connection from Fields to Kmet on third-and-7 during a key third-quarter field-goal drive. Kmet made a nice catch on a back-shoulder ball and was clearly inbounds as he won his matchup against safety Devin McCourty. The third-year tight end hurried the football back to the officials and urged his teammates to hustle and get the next snap off before a potential Patriots challenge. The Bears operated smoothly in that sequence, got the play off quickly and gained 6 yards on a Montgomery run. After the game, Kmet was asked if he felt like he didn’t make his catch inbounds. “That’s something we’ve been practicing since (organized team activities),” he said. “Anything close in a big situation — that was a big third-down play — you just don’t know if they’re going to find a slight bobble or something when they look at it on replay. So we have our procedure with that.” That sequence was the byproduct of good coaching and crisp situational execution that has been taught and drilled and created a productive process on game night. “It’s just the practice part of it,” Eberflus said. “What we always say is we’ll see it out there (at practice) first. And we’ve seen it. We’ve done a good job of practicing that. You have to set those things up.”

• General manager Ryan Poles met with reporters in the Gillette Stadium press box before kickoff. Among his most notable comments was his inward-looking analysis of how the Bears can better utilize Fields to set him up for success. That will remain a priority for the coaching staff with input and oversight from the front office. But along with that, Poles emphasized Fields’ responsibility with “the execution and the details of what he’s being asked to do and really speeding up to the game and making decisions quicker.” That processing and decision-making speed should be kept under an intense microscope for the final 10 games. Poles also reiterated that part of his evaluation of Fields in 2022 revolves around “flashes,” with the quarterback needing to demonstrate accuracy, an ability to get the ball out on time and deep-ball potential fairly regularly. “I think he has shown the flashes,” Poles said.
• The Bears failed to land a knockout punch in the third quarter when Fields took a first-down, play-action deep shot to Mooney from the Patriots 39-yard line. Mooney was in single coverage against cornerback Jonathan Jones and ran a double move to turn up the right sideline. But Fields’ pass to the end zone sailed wide and out of bounds without giving Mooney any opportunity to demonstrate his ball skills in a winnable one-on-one matchup. To the naked eye, this looked like a repeat offense for Fields, a potential indicator of either faltering accuracy or wavering trust in his favorite receiver. But when Fields was asked about that sequence Wednesday, he explained his agitation. “I thought it was a dot,” he said. “I thought I put it perfectly (for him). But it just kept rising and rising. Just a shot we took and I just overthrew him by a little bit.” As the season goes on, Fields will have to capitalize on such opportunities much more frequently.
• The Bears were bracing for the worst with the toe injury that ended Lucas Patrick’s night after 10 snaps. On Wednesday they moved Patrick to injured reserve with the acceptance he will be out awhile. That pushes Sam Mustipher back into the starting role at center and leads to a likely combination of Braxton Jones, Michael Schofield, Mustipher, Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom to start Sunday. That quintet finished the game in New England and would mark the fifth starting line combination the Bears have used in eight games.