Justin Fields with Bears Starters Could Happen
It's possible something Bears fans have anticipated since the end of April will occur Saturday night in the preseason opener.
Quarterback Justin Fields could be playing with starters.
Note, the lack of a defining article in the sentence, as in "the" starters. He could be playing with some starters.
Regardless, it will make for some interesting viewing considering it's a meaningless exhibition game against the Miami Dolphins at Soldier Field and that Fields' really has had virtually no time on the field with any of the starting players in training camp during scrimmages.
Bears coach Matt Nagy said some of the groupings for the first game will not go according to the first team, second team and third team, according to the depth chart released on Tuesday in advance of the game.
Rather, it could be a mixed bag of starters and veterans. Some of this is due to the injuries to hit the offensive line and other positions. The coaches will finalize all of this in the next few days.
He said he's leaning to one or two series for starting quarterback Andy Dalton and then more playing time for some starters with Fields.
"The only way we can evaluate is by seeing him play," Bears coach Matt Nagy said. "He’s gotta get valuable reps.
"Again, even to the point of, as we go through these three games, being able to just see what he can do with different players and different teammates, it could be first, second or third team across the board."
That much could make Bears fans across the board squeal with delight.
Part of the problem for Fields or Andy Dalton could be pass protection, considering the plight the Bears have at tackle with four players still out at this position heading into Wednesday's practice with Miami at Halas Hall.
"If we feel like we need to help out there, we’ll just have to make sure that schematically we do some things that we need to do, " Nagy said. "If we feel like we need to help out there, then we’ll do that."
The injury factor in this case isn't treated with nonchalance.
"It is a fine line," Nagy said. "That’s kind of the challenge for all these guys. There's a lot of guys—we’ll go through it as a staff. We discussed it preliminarily the other night, our last staff meeting: What’s kind of the mindset of what we wanna get out of these players?
"Now specifically you go deeper: OK, we got to be able to evaluate—that’s the beauty of the preseason—but we also need these guys for Week 1. That’s the balance. It’s that Catch-22. You play somebody and all of a sudden they get hurt and (fans) go, ‘You dummy. Why’d you do that?’ The other one is, you don’t play them and you say they need the reps. That is the fine line."
Nagy admitted to wanting to see Fields in action, even though he talks extensively about Dalton.
"I want him to be able to cut it loose and play without thinking," Nagy said. "Stay within what we do and the progressions, but just kind of let your personality show on the football field.
"The other stuff that we critique him on—the tempo in and out of the huddle and all that—that’ll happen on its own. Now we get to truly see what we can do when the lights are on and he’s playing full speed and it’s live. We’re not doing live with the QBs."
In practice, one key with Fields is how he handles failure.
"What I think we’re looking for from him is the ability to rebound from maybe a poor decision, " Nagy said. "That, I think is one of his strengths. He’s shown that to us. '
"So now when he gets in the game, how is all that going to go down? We won't know that until we see it, but he's doing a great job of like, for instance part of the stuff that Flip really liked and I liked too, (offensive coordinator Bill) Lazor did, is he had really calm feet in the pocket with the progressions. It was a really calm three-step from the gun, one-hitch rhythm throw to the back end of the end line. So that part, you see that."
Fields will get a chance to show all the extra work he's doing is paying off. Considering some so-called "experts" doubted he was a hard worker before the draft, there could be some skeptics surprised he has been one of the first in and last to leave.
Tight end Cole Kmet said it's common for Fields to come seek him out to stay for work on extra throws following practices.
"He’s always out there wanting to get extra work in, so I know that if I go up to him and say, 'Hey, you want to get some routes in?' he’s always up for it," Kmet said. "Nothing that really needs to be said.
"He’s just always out there working. He’s out there now just working. He's always out there for 10-15 minutes after practice getting some extra work in. So no reason why you can’t jump in and get some balls thrown."
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