The Chicago Bears picked up an impressive Week 14 win over the Detroit Lions this past Sunday, and afterward, quarterback Justin Fields provided an honest assessment of the victory.
“There were a few throws I missed,” Fields said, via Jason Lieser of The Chicago Sun-Times. “There were multiple plays during the game where we could have executed better. … The third downs and just the throws downfield, of course — there were a couple that I wanted back. But we won the game, and [there’s] still room to get better, so that’s just the hope for the future.”
Fields went 19-for-33 with 223 yards and a touchdown while carrying the ball 12 times for 58 yards on the afternoon. While it certainly wasn’t his best performance, he did enough for his team to win the game, and most importantly, he did not turn the ball over. It marked just the third time that Field didn’t have any giveaways in his nine games this season.
On the 2023 campaign overall, Fields has thrown for 1,810 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 63.5 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 91.8. He has also rushed for 458 yards and a couple of scores while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was selected by the Bears with the 11th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Since entering the league, Fields has mostly struggled, going just 8-26 as a starter. He had a rough rookie year with seven touchdowns and 10 picks, and while he showed some progression last season with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, he didn’t do enough to gain Chicago’s trust. A trying start to 2023 made his future in the Windy City even more dicey, and with the Bears potentially having the No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL Draft via the Carolina Panthers, it’s looking more and more like Chicago will have someone else under center next season.
Still, there is no doubt that Fields has improved this year, and no matter where he plays in 2024, he is deserving of a chance to start yet again.
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