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Justin Fields Gets Another Shot

After a 6-for-20 day and 68 yards, Justin Fields will come back to Soldier Field for his first start on home turf against Detroit on Sunday.

The Bears have decided on Justin Fields for his first regular-season start at Soldier Field after downgrading injured Andy Dalton Saturday from questionable to doubtful for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.

Now the question is whether they'll also do something to support him.

Fields will start in what could be wet conditions against the Lions after he completed 6 of 20 for 68 yards with nine sacks in his first NFL start last week at Cleveland.

"His game that he played last week, he did a lot of things that he's gonna learn from," Bears coach Matt Nagy said Friday. "But we also, and myself, have to help him."

The nine sacks indicated lack of support in terms of blocking. But the coaches' decision to set up five-man pass protections for most of the game left the rookie exposed to Cleveland's dominant edge rushers, Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney.

The bone bruise on Dalton's left knee kept him from going through a full practice all week, although he was involved on a limited basis each day. 

Nagy had said it would be a game-time decision but apparently saw no reason to wait. He is hopeful of something better from Fields and said he has seen better decisions in practice.

"I can say from last week to this week that you do see that advancement," Nagy said.

Fields on Friday was up for a chance to improve his play with more support.

"I feel like everybody wants to be out there," Fields said. "If you're on the team, of course you want to be playing. If you're a competitor, you're gonna want to be out there playing, but of course last week wasn't the performance we wanted to put out and we talked about that and we expect to be better this week."

Last week was the first time Fields had taken a game plan and prepared to face an NFL opponent. Now he's been through it all.

"This week's practice compared to last week's practice, I felt just more comfortable at practice just kinda getting that under my belt and getting kinda past that," Fields said. "Last week, you really can't get worse than that. I mean, I hope not. But I felt comfortable this week."

After the loss, Fields and the other quarterbacks went to Matt Nagy to talk about the offense.

"Some guys talked up and spoke their minds and just told coach what they think that we needed to do or maybe change, and he listened to it and he said he's gonna apply it," Fields said. "I think that meeting was well needed and I think it brought us closer together as a team."

It wasn't Fields doing the talking, but third-stringer Nick Foles.

"I didn't talk, just because it was my first game," Fields said. "I let the guys who have been here multiple years—guys like Nick put in his input. He had, I think, really good things to say. And, of course, some guys on the O-line did, too. I think that talk was well needed for sure."

The thinking is Fields at quarterback could mean Bill Lazor is calling plays because the Bears switched to Lazor last year and to more mobile quarterback Mitchell Trubisky to try and revive their running game. It worked down the stretch to get them into the playoffs.

However, Nagy didn't want to reveal the play caller for fear it could give the Lions an edge in knowing which type of game plan to expect. He said the Bears had different game plans for each quarterback.

"Probably the No. 1 thing: tendencies, to be quite honest," Nagy said. "At the same point and time there were more things that we discussed, that's big picture for all of us. When you have those discussions, not just the play-calling and the things that went on last week, which we had a bunch of good ones, we just want to keep that private."

Dalton's bone bruise has made him week to week and if he's doubtful he might not be available as backup, which would make Foles the backup. Fields himself has a right thumb injury but was able to practice in full all week with tape or a brace on the injury. He was taken off the injury report on Friday.

Nagy made it clear last week Dalton will go back in as starter once he has healed from the injury to his left knee.

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