Justin Fields ran out of gas against the Detroit Lions in Week 17's 41-10 blowout loss. After gaining more than 100 rushing yards in the first quarter, Fields' legs seemed to give out on him. It was all downhill from there.
Fields completed just seven-of-21 passes for 75 yards. He threw one touchdown and an interception. His lone touchdown pass came on a 13-yard toss to tight end Cole Kmet in the first quarter. Fields ran for 132 yards, bringing him just 64 yards away from breaking Lamar Jackson's single-season quarterback rushing record. He'll get a chance to surpass Jackson in Week 18's season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.
Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Fields continues steady leadership in turbulent Bears season
Fields took a beating against the Lions. He was sacked seven times, and it felt like the Bears could've done more to protect him once the game got out of hand. Chicago had no chance to come back late in the second half down 38-10, but Fields insisted on staying in the game.
"Anytime I get to play this game, I don't take it for granted," Fields said Sunday after the loss. "Anytime I can play, I want to be out there, no matter who it's with. I know that my guys are fighting for me and they know that I'm fighting for them. That's all the motivation I need. To be honest with you, I don't care what the scoreboard is. If I have the chance to go out and play, I'll do it every time. I'll play my hardest."
Fields' box score doesn't pass the eyeball test, but his leadership isn't in doubt. Still, the Bears' decision-makers have to make sure Fields isn't putting himself in harm's way as he appeared to be doing Sunday.
Matt Eberflus said after the game that the coaching staff discussed pulling Fields throughout the second half, but the need for in-game experience trumped all other concerns.
"We certainly discussed it," Eberflus said. "Every single series, we're discussing it. We said, "Let's get him out there. Let's get him out there and do another two-minute drive and get the experience.""
Luckily for the Bears, Fields didn't suffer an injury. But he's running on fumes right now, and that's the biggest takeaway from Sunday's performance. His legs are rubber. His will remains strong, but perhaps that's one hit away from being broken. He's doing whatever he can to make plays, even without a cast of reliable wide receivers and a group of offensive linemen who can't be counted on either.
Fields was bruised, battered, and beaten in Week 17.
One thing Sunday's poor showing shouldn't do is raise doubts about Justin Fields. It should do the opposite. Fields proved to be a calm and steady leader, even in the eye of the worst of storms. Week 17 was one of the worst blowout losses in recent Bears history. It was humiliating, but you'd never guess it by watching Fields. He competed until the final whistle, even if his throws mostly sailed incomplete.
It's easy to blame Justin Fields for Bears' struggles, but it's also wrong
Yes, the Chicago Bears need to be better on offense. And, of course, that begins with the quarterback and an effective passing game. But it would be unfair to suggest the passing game's struggles are because of Fields. He has no time to throw and is throwing to a collection of underwhelming wide receivers.
Excuses? Not really. They're simply facts. The good news? The Chicago Bears can fix many of these problems in the offseason. They have a boatload of cash to throw at the offensive line in free agency and can invest high draft picks in skill players on offense.
Rebuilding a team is much easier when the franchise quarterback is in place. And even though Sunday's loss to the Lions was one Bears fans would soon like to forget, Justin Fields will use it as motivation to continue improving as the team gets ready to launch in 2023.
“This isn’t going to kill me on the inside,” Fields said. “It’s simple. You learn from the mistakes and get better from them. I’m not the type of person to (groan) on this and that. I’m not that type of person mentally, spiritually. I’ve been through tough times before. My only response is to keep working, keep getting better, keep learning, keep growing.”
Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
