The Chicago Bears beat the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Eve, bringing their record to 6-9 on the season. Technically, the Bears are still on the bubble but their chances are basically one in a million. After Week 17, even if the team wins, I'm assuming they will be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and we should also have a better idea of what picks the Bears have in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Justin Fields had a solid performance against the Cardinals in Week 16. He started off hot through the air, gaining over 100 yards early. The offense scored 21 points in less than 24 minutes and Fields accounted for two of the team's three touchdowns. Conservative play calling on offense along with an inability to adjust led to another cool down. The team only scored another six points the rest of the game, but Fields accounted for 170 yards through the air and another 97 on the ground (267 total yards). The 97 yards on the ground was the second most he's had all season.
After the game, Justin Fields talked about his ability to rush against the Arizona Cardinals' defensive front.
"You know, just extending plays. Last week they did a lot of drop-eight stuff, so we were kind of expecting some of that stuff. But you know, they don't have as fast of defensive linemen, so I knew I would be able to extend plays and stuff like that. I think that's really it. I told the offensive linemen, like, yo, we don't have to hold. Like if they break free, like, they are not as fast as Myles Garrett and the guys we played last week. The guys did a great job up front when I didn't have to do anything."Justin Fields, Bears QB
Justin Fields was sacked once but definitely had his way with the Cardinals' defensive front from a rushing standpoint. The Bears' offensive line played well most of the game too, giving Fields plenty of clean pockets. Unfortunately, D.J. Moore got banged up early and the Bears offense couldn't continue moving the ball through the air in the second half.
What do you think? Was Justin Fields taking a shot at the Cardinals' defensive front or was he just explaining why he attacked them the way he did?