The Chicago Bears pulled off what some might call an upset win over the San Francisco 49ers, 19-10, in Week 1 at Soldier Field. The monsoon-like weather conditions made the game ugly, leaving us with precious few highlights.
Still, four players deserve special recognition for their efforts in the win and will be awarded a the first of our 2022 Bears Talk game balls.
Justin Fields
The stat line isn’t great (8-of-17, 121 yards, 2 TDs, INT), but Fields showed poise and leadership in the face of adversity. The Bears were staring down the barrel of a humiliating loss at home in what was supposed to be a new era of football, but Fields never blinked. He came out of halftime and led three straight touchdown drives to seal what feels like a statement game for this year’s Bears.
Fields took significant steps toward silencing critics with his Week 1 performance.