The Chicago Bears have matched up very well against the Detroit Lions in both matchups this season. They should have beat them in Week 11, but they collapsed in the fourth quarter. History seemed like it could repeat itself with the game in a similar situation entering the fourth quarter. This time, the Bears were more aggressive in order to put the game away and make it a three-possession game, and the defense continued to play very well.
This is the best the Chicago Bears football team has looked in years. They are healthy and firing on all cylinders right now. While there are still growing pains with this team, they are really coming into their own, sort of how the Lions did last season after starting the year at rock bottom.
Chicago Bears Week 14 Winner No. 1: Justin Fields
Once again, we were able to see a confident, decisive, and controlled Justin Fields. Sure, there are going to be some missed open receivers, which leads to holding the ball too long, but it seems each week he is improving on that weakness. He is hitting throws that he would not make earlier in the year, and he is driving the offense down the field on most drives.
Week 14 saw the dual threat that is Justin Fields on display. He was showing off his arm talent as well as his ability to affect the game with his athleticism. This is the type of quarterback the Bears envisioned Fields to be. It is clear how hard it is for teams to stop him when he is firing on all cylinders because even if things are perfectly covered, he makes amazing plays as a runner. There were countless plays in this game where he seemed primed for a sack, and then he pulled a Houdini to gather himself and run for a first down. It is a luxury to have when the offensive line continues to lack consistency.
Fields ended up with 223 yards on 19/33 passing with a touchdown. He also added 58 yards on the ground on twelve carries with a touchdown as well. Maybe the most important stat was the zero turnovers, which has been his biggest burden this season. He was able to make the big plays when they needed him to, even if it was not always pretty. Big third and fourth down throws were made and they led to the Bears being able to stay in control of the game, and it made the difference between this and the last matchup versus the Lions. Fields is really going to make it hard for the team to move on from him if he keeps up this type of play.