Anybody that calls the game Justin Fields played on Sunday “decent” or “okay” is clearly focused on the box score. They saw 208 passing yards, a touchdown pass, and 47 rushing yards. They didn’t watch the actual game and how the Chicago Bears quarterback took it over in the second half. It was the first time since that performance in Pittsburgh that it felt like Fields took command. He was the best player on the field, and it wasn’t even debatable.
People won’t count the 52-yard touchdown run called back because of a bogus penalty. They don’t count two ugly drops by Dante Pettis that would’ve improved his passing total. Everything about that game said Fields was finally starting to gain a measure of comfort in the offense. He wasn’t overthinking. Throws were coming out on time and in a rhythm. Former Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer review the tape. He was blown away by how good Fields looked and expressed as much on 670 The Score.
Justin Fields’ progress is becoming clearer by the week.
Through his first three games, the young quarterback had a combined passer rating of 50.0. In the previous two against New York and Minnesota, he has bumped that up to 97.2. His throws are more decisive and accurate. He’s willing to take the checkdowns for 4-5 yards rather than hanging onto the ball, hoping for a big play. That is the maturation people have waited for. It’s a big reason why the Vikings only sacked him twice after he was dropped 11 times in the previous two weeks.
Franchise quarterbacks are supposed to elevate everybody around them. Sunday was the first real example of Justin Fields doing this. Bad protection? Unreliable receivers? No running game? It didn’t matter. He made plays anyway and led the team to 19 unanswered points. If not for a defensive breakdown in the final minutes, people would be talking about that game as the signature win of his career.
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Dilfer is correct. It was a badass performance. One can only imagine how much better he’ll be once the Bears put more help around him.
