Chicago Bears: Justin Fields lights up Dolphins in second joint practice
By Ryan Heckman
In his first joint practice with the Miami Dolphins, Justin Fields threw a couple of picks but also made some nice plays for the Chicago Bears. It wasn’t his best practice, and he certainly showed some rookie flaws.
However, it didn’t take long for him to adjust and turn things around in his second joint practice against Miami on Thursday.
The most impressive portion came where it mattered most: the red zone.
In a six-play red zone period for Fields and his offense, the rookie went 3-for-4 with all of his completions being touchdown passes. He also ran one in on what The Chicago Tribune’s Dan Wiederer called an “astute tuck and run.”
Justin Fields put on a show for Chicago Bears fans today versus the Dolphins
Well there’s no doubt the best QB on either field today was Justin Fields. Just completed a nearly perfect red zone period. Only incompletion was a drop by Riley Ridley in the back corner of the end zone on a good ball. All of Fields’ talent was on display. #Bears
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) August 12, 2021
While there were some mixed reviews from Miami media yesterday regarding the play of Fields, Tua Tagovailoa and the rest of the teams’ quarterbacks, it appears there was no discussion about who the best quarterback on the field was on Thursday.
It was the rookie from Ohio State.
One particular aspect of today’s practice that makes Fields’ performance even more outstanding is the fact that he was playing without several of his top linemen. Teven Jenkins and Germain Ifedi, the team’s two starting tackles, remain out, along with a handful of others.
Fields also saw versatile lineman Alex Bars leave the practice field in visible pain, according to Chris Emma of 670 The Score.
That brings up, yet again, a reason for the Chicago Bears to go after some veteran line help. Whether it be via trade or some solid free agent options still available, Chicago has to add bodies to their offensive line group — if anything, just to try and keep Fields comfortable.
Speaking of keeping Justin Fields comfortable, the Bears will apparently see their rookie quarterback take a bunch of snaps on Saturday versus this very same Miami team. When the Bears take the field for their first preseason game, head coach Matt Nagy told media that he would like to see Fields play well into the second half and maybe even into the fourth quarter.
“He’s going to get a ton of reps.” -Matt Nagy
Here’s the kicker, though: Justin Fields may take over for Andy Dalton as soon as the first series is over, depending upon how that goes — again, per coach Nagy.
Fans have been looking forward to Saturday for quite some time now, and it looks as though it will be worth the wait. With Fields taking his first snaps as a pro and likely playing the majority of the game, they’ll get a chance to see firsthand what the hype has been all about.
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As he’s stated multiple times, Fields was built for this. He’s ready for the spotlight, and in his first couple days of competition against a defense other than his own, Fields has already proven he’s the real deal.
Who’s ready for Saturday?