The Chicago Bears will play the Washington Commanders at Soldier Field on Thursday night, as it will be the first of three significant games for the team and their starting quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears will play their next two games on national television on Thursday night and then on Monday, October 24th, against the New England Patriots. With the upcoming national exposure, Fields has a chance to change how he is viewed nationally following a poor Week 2 performance against the Green Bay Packers On Sunday Night Football.

Fields’ Play Has Been Steadily Improving Since The Last Time The Bears Played On National TV

In the Bears’ Week 2 against the Packers, Fields had a dismal performance as he only completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards and an interception. Chicago’s young quarterback was sacked three times, fumbled once, and appeared confused throughout most of the game. Fields’ composure was also a concern as he visibly lacked confidence while looking as if the moment was too much for him. The Bears’ second-year quarterback’s performance in the 27-10 loss left many analysts and fans wondering if he was destined to become a first-round bust.

Justin Fields says all he cares about is winning a Super Bowl and beating the Green Bay Packers.

In 3 games vs. the Packers:

57.7 comp% 468 yards 6.6 YPA
3 TD 4 INT

Average margin of victory -14

— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) September 19, 2022

To make the situation worse, Fields’ struggles carried over into the following week as he was intercepted twice against the Houston Texans and continued to look confused and nervous on the field. Since the Week 3 victory over Houston, Chicago’s second-year quarterback has steadily improved his play in the past few games, as he has not thrown an interception and has thrown for 176 yards or more in each game. Against the Vikings this past Sunday, Fields accounted for 240 of the Bears’ 271 total yards on offense.

Over the next three games, Fields has a chance to change how he is viewed nationally by analysts and fans across the country due to the prominence of each game. On Thursday night, Chicago’s quarterback will face a Commanders’ defense that has allowed 21 points or more in each of their games this season. Additionally, opposing quarterbacks are averaging 235 passing yards per game against Washington, while the Commanders have only forced one interception through five games.

the Commanders are 29th in pass defense DVOA, are 26th in dropback EPA, and are allowing 7.2 yards per pass attempt to opposing quarterbacks

really great opportunity for Justin Fields to follow up his best game of the season with another strong performance

— Jeremy Layton (@JeremyLayt0n) October 11, 2022

Fields performing well against the commanders in front of a national audience would lead to significant intrigue that would carry over into Chicago’s next game against New England on Monday Night Football on October 24th. The Bears’ first-round quarterback will likely face off against a fellow first-round quarterback from the same draft in, Mac Jones, who could be returning from injury. Another solid performance and potential win over Jones and the Patriots would help solidify the notion that Fields was the correct choice for Chicago with the 11th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Following the two nationally televised games against the Commanders and Patriots, the Bears will travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys on October 30th. Although the game will be at noon, it will likely be the lead game for Fox that day, with most of the country viewing the game. Dallas could be 6-1 by the time they host the Bears on the 30th, and it will be a difficult game for Fields due to the Cowboy’s elite defense. If Chicago’s quarterback can turn in a multi-touchdown performance on the road against Dallas’ top-5 defense, the country’s perception of the quarterback will change.

No offense wants to see this @DallasCowboys defense on their schedule 😤 (by @CourtyardHotels) pic.twitter.com/7IGQUZs898

— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2022

Composure And Stats are Positive Signs, But Wins Are Even Better

The Bears are favored to beat the Commanders on Thursday, and if they do, it will be because Fields had a standout performance. Even if Chicago wins, the most significant aspect of the game will be how their quarterback performed, as the key stats will be passing yards and turnovers. If Fields can pass for over 200 yards, throw multiple touchdown passes, and record his third consecutive game without an interception, he will receive high praise on Friday from both local and national sports outlets.

Updated @PFF grades for the 2021 QB class.

This season:

1. Zach Wilson: 77.4 👀
2. Davis Mills: 70.0
3. Trevor Lawrence: 61.7
4. Mac Jones: 58.4
5. Justin Fields: 57.2
6. Trey Lance: 53.1

Career:

Jones: 77.2
Wilson: 63.1
Mills: 62.7
Fields: 62.3
Lawrence: 60.2
Lance: 57.2

— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 10, 2022

Against New England, if Fields can lead Chicago to a win, it will be significant as the Patriots are currently on an impressive run of their own. They forced overtime against Green Bay Packers in Week 4 at Lambeau Field, playing with their third-string quarterback Bailey Zappe. Last week, New England shut out one of the league’s best offenses in the Detroit Lions 29-0. Another solid performance and win against the Patriots would get fans across the country talking about Fields’ emergence as a future elite quarterback.

Although Chicago has a chance to beat Washington and New England, a win over a potential one-loss Cowboys team would be highly unlikely. The Bears currently have issues at their wide receiver position and offensive line. If Fields can lead Chicago to victory against Dallas, fans across the country will be taking notice of the Bears’ second-year quarterback. Due to the Cowboys’ enormous fanbase and media presence, an upset win led by Chicago’s quarterback would dominate the sports world for the following week.

Dallas Cowboys sack leaders through Week 5:
– Micah Parsons, 6
– Dorance Armstrong, 4
– DeMarcus Lawrence, 3
– Dante Fowler, 2
– Donovan Wilson, 1
– Leighton Vander Esch, 1
– Jourdan Lewis, 1
– Osa Odighizuwa, 1
– Neville Gallimore, 1

— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) October 11, 2022

Fields needs to make steady progress at the quarterback position week-by-week, but he especially needs to have positive performances when playing in front of a national audience. The next three games for Chicago will have the largest viewing audiences to see the team play for the remainder of the season. Fields needs to make the country forget what was seen during the Week 2 game against the Packers and change how he is viewed by performing well over the next three weeks.