6 thoughts following the Chicago Bears 25-20 loss to the Eagles
Chicago Bears Thought No. 1: Justin Fields carried the team once again
Justin Fields took on a challenge against Jalen Hurts, another talented dual-threat quarterback, and not only kept the team in the ballgame, but he also almost won it.
The odds were stacked against Justin Fields in this game though. Both wide receivers Chase Claypool and N’Keal Harry were ruled out of this game. Then, Equanimeous St. Brown was lost immediately on the third play of the game after making a first down catch. Even RG Teven Jenkins suffered an injury shortly after and was carried off on a stretcher.
He was sacked six times, thanks to an offensive line that did not look like the top ten units ranked by PFF coming into this game and did not handle the Eagles’ defensive line stunts well throughout the game.
Still, he had 95 rushing yards on 15 carries, including another highlight reel run of 39 yards. He escaped Haasan Reddick on the play, who had grabbed his neck looking for another sack. Instead, Fields morphed into Houdini before he ran down the left sideline, spun, and nearly scored. He also completed 14-of-21 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns.
Every week Justin Fields has a “holy shit” play. This week’s edition:
— Josh Schrock (@Schrock_And_Awe) December 19, 2022
pic.twitter.com/TGHpeTziFx
He became only the third quarterback in NFL history to rush for a thousand yards. He suffered cramps late in the game as fans looked on thinking it looked much worse. We all had to hold our collective breaths and be prepared for the worst. However, he received an IV in the locker room as it was just cramps — he came back in and helped keep the game close with a chance to even win.
The talent around Justin Fields needs to be greatly improved for him to reach his full potential. The remaining receivers available for Fields to throw to were Dante Pettis, who had another dropped pass, Velus Jones who fumbled an end around, Byron Pringle, who caught a touchdown pass, and Nsimba Webster. What do you expect him to do when he is surrounded by players who have proven they do not belong in the NFL?
Despite another loss, Chicago Bears fans should be excited because the Eagles provided the Bears with a blueprint for them to follow on both offense and defense.