A Bears Moral Victory?
Bears QB Justin Fields, Photo Courtesy of Getty
The Chicago Bears lost an NFC North divisional matchup this past Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings 29-22. The loss puts them under .500 for the first time this season and looking at this team from the outside, they just might be who we thought they were.
But is this early season divisional loss a true loss in the grand scheme of things for this organization?
The Bears had a chance to tie the game with under two minutes to go before former Viking receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette had the ball stripped from his hands as Justin Fields had the offense driving. Fields was orchestrating a gutsy two-minute drill drive by evading pass rushers, creating throwing angles to get the ball out, and most importantly moving the chains. This was exactly what the organization wanted to see, and it was on display when the team needed it most.
This drive was just a sample of the success Fields had on the day which was one of the best games in his young NFL career. Fields finished the game with season highs in completions, completion percentage, and yards, and even had a 53-yard touchdown run that got called back because of a Smith-Marsette block in the back call.
There were multiple plays where Fields looked like the fastest and best player on the field, something that has not been seen all year to this point.
Fields’ growth and progression is the most important aspect of this season for the Bears. By the end of the season, this team needs to know if they are still in search of a quarterback or if they have their guy, and it is time to start building around him. Right now, this team lacks weapons all over the field which makes it harder to judge Fields and win games.
Losing in the NFL is never a good thing, yet media and fans push for less talented teams to lose as much as possible to secure a better draft pick the following year. This loss for the Bears puts them one step closer to a better draft slot, especially for a team that did not have a first-round pick last year which was traded to take Fields in 2021.
On Sunday, it looked like the Bears have their quarterback of the future. The second-year quarterback appeared to be taking the next steps to become the player he was drafted to be.
However, this was just one game in a season that is filled with games where he sometimes did not look like the future of the team. The important thing now is for Fields to build off this game and start stacking good games together.
If Fields puts together three or four good games in a row, especially the next two games that are on primetime, the narrative about him and this team will start to change. Even if some of those games are losses, it will become easier to start viewing them as moral wins.
