The Chicago Bears suffered a 29-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but it didn’t feel like a defeat. At least, not in the way that others have this season.
A big reason for that was the play of second-year quarterback Justin Fields, who took a step forward in his development. Fields played his best game of the season.
“Operation was really good by Justin,” said Matt Eberflus. “Justin had one of the best days of his career.”
Looking at the numbers, it wasn’t flashy. Fields’ stat line read 15-of-21 for 208 yards with one touchdown, zero interceptions and a 118.8 passer rating. But there was a difference in how he played — he looked more confident, comfortable and in rhythm than he’s looked all season.
One thing that certainly helped was the play of the offensive line, which gave Fields a clean pocket more than he’d seen all season. Eberflus praised the offensive line for their play.
“(Fields) had time to deliver,” Eberflus said. “He could see down the field without being in a rush, and ride the pocket like we talked about last week. That’s definitely an encouraging thing to see.”
Receiver Darnell Mooney, who caught two passes for 52 yards, said Fields’ confidence was evident on the field.
“He was playing smooth, he was playing confident, he was playing calm,” Mooney said, via ChicagoBears.com . “Even just calling plays-wise, he was just letting us know what was going on.”
Fields said he was the most comfortable he’s been all season.
“I would say so,” he said. “I mean, just trying to stay calm, I think. When I first got here, you see big guys flying around, D-linemen going fast. You just think you have to speed everything up. But I’m just starting to figure out you’ve got to play within your own rhythm and the way you know how to play and staying calm in the pocket.”
Despite the loss, Fields’ development is certainly something to be encouraged about moving forward. Especially considering it happened with a below-average offensive line and a limited group of receivers.
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