One More Try for Justin Fields?
The Bears want one last look at Justin Fields playing quarterback.
It might be the last look for this coaching regime, but they want it just the same.
Coach Matt Nagy could have simply shut down Fields a few weeks ago when he suffered an ankle injury but the Bears want to see their rookie perform in a second game against the Minnesota Vikings defense Sunday. So they will give him every opportunity to prove he's capable of making it four different starting Bears quarterbacks in four weeks to close the season, and possibly this coaching regime.
"To be able to come out here and hopefully get him healthy to where he can help us win a game, I think it would be great for him to do that," Nagy said during Monday's Zoom press conference. "And again, that's all we can ask for from him. And then the players and teammates and coaches around him got to do everything we can to help get that win."
The Bears (6-10) have lost in seven straight Fields starts and he hasn't won since Oct. 10 at Las Vegas. Getting him a victory would at least allow him to transition to Year 2 on a more positive note.
"He's put a lot of time and effort into this year, into developing and becoming better as a quarterback," Nagy said. "What this will enable him to do is finish on a high note and do everything he can to have a great week of practice mentally, physically, be there for his teammates, which I think says a lot for these guys.
"These guys are battling. Regardless or our record right now, you’re seeing players that want to play. You’re seeing players that care about their job. You’re seeing players that care about their teammates. And you’re seeing players that care about winning. And so Justin’s a part of that. And even though physically he hasn’t been able to, he's still a part of it with us as a team."
Nagy refuses to get pulled into an argument judging whether his plan of starting Andy Dalton first and letting Fields develop as a backup initially was correct.
Instead, he's taking a more existential or transcendental approach.
However, he does have to admit Fields ultimately benefits for having made 10 starts as a rookie to date even if it is with a 2-8 record in those games.
"Again, we will see," Nagy said. "But I think the playing time that he has had and the way it's happened, it's obviously supposed to be that way and he's done a great job attacking it mentally, physically, and I think everybody can have their own opinion on what they think for Justin. Justin can have his own opinion. But in the end, getting reps for him I think is definitely going to help him out."
The original idea was the one Nagy brought from Kansas City and the way Patrick Mahomes developed. Mahomes never started until the last game of the regular season, then went back to bench for the 2017 playoffs.
"You know we went into it with a plan of Andy being the starter for the entire season and it didn't go that route," Nagy said. "We had to make sure that if Andy was going to get injured, which he did, was Justin prepared enough to be the starter and could he grow? And he's done that. And I think you've got to give Justin a lot of credit.
"I've always been wired that way where whatever's happened it's supposed to be that way and you attack it. So I think with the way that it's gone from the very first start for Justin against Cleveland in that environment that atmosphere, the way we've learned how to use him and his development between the coaches and him, himself with his teammates, his relationships, there's a lot of good from that."
The stats will show both Mac Jones and Trey Lance had better seasons than Fields among the rookie quarterbacks drafted in Round 1. Although, Lance has had only 71 pass attempts. His passer rating of 97.3 and 8.5 yards an attempt reflects how the 49ers have been able to use his strengths within their offense, especially by getting him outside the pocket and throwing downfield. Even third-round Houston pick has a far better passer rating (85.2) than Fields (73.5).
Fields has many of the same strengths as Lance but it's debatable whether the Bears have actually allowed him to get outside the pocket to throw enough the way the 49ers have in their offense in the limited playing time Lance has had.
The benefits Nagy saw for Fields in playing so far are undeniable in terms of exposure to competition. It's why Nagy sees positives ahead for Fields.
"I think for him to be able to understand this year the speed of the game and what it's like against these defenses—these guys are fast—so when you get to the edge you've got to protect yourself, Nagy said. "(Also) just how to be a pro from Monday to Saturday, like how that goes, and that part has been really, really good for him.
"Obviously I think he's going to have a really bright future and he works extremely hard. Now the other stuff, the DNA stuff, the experience that he's gotten, any of these rookie quarterbacks or any position, if for whatever reason you're forced to play or you do play, you attack it full speed ahead. And that's what Justin has done. So I don't look at it one way or the other."
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