The Bears’ 26-6 loss to the Browns on Sept. 26, 2021, was the low point of the offense the last three years — and, yes, that’s saying something.
Making his first career start, quarterback Justin Fields was sacked nine times, tied for the second-most in Bears history, and hit 15 times. Browns defensive end Myles Garrett had 4 ½ himself, and would later put a headstone of Fields, and other quarterbacks he sacked, in his front yard for Halloween.
Fields went 6-for-20 for 68 yards and finished with 1 net passing yard. The Bears gained 47 yards on 42 plays.
“You almost can’t make it up,” coach Matt Nagy said at the time. “It was that bad.”
Nagy was so rattled he held a meeting days later asking players for play-call suggestions. He handed play-calling over to coordinator Bill Lazor.
A lot — including Nagy’s Halas Hall key card — has changed since the last time the Bears played a regular-season game in Cleveland. But Sunday’s game on the shores of Lake Erie is still an appropriate bookend in the evaluation of Fields as a passer.
He’s going back to the scene of the Bears’ biggest crime as an offense. With four games to play, he still has to prove himself as the team’s quarterback of the future. He’s gotten better, but has he grown enough?
Wednesday, Fields recalled being thrilled in 2021 to play two hours from his old college campus at Ohio State — and then said the obvious.
“Being back in Ohio, first start, everybody excited,” he said. “And then of course getting sacked, too.
“Hopefully we can change that going back this weekend.”
Guard Teven Jenkins watched the game from home while on injured reserve and remembers that the Browns “got after it” against the Bears.
“Not a great day there,” tight end Cole Kmet said Wednesday. “But that was a while back ago, and a lot has happened since then … It’s a whole new staff, a whole new deal.”
That’s the hope.
“First start in the NFL to now — I’ve definitely learned a lot,” Fields said.
He’s running out of time to show it off. It’s increasingly likely general manager Ryan Poles will have the Panthers’ No. 1 overall pick from which to draft a quarterback, should he choose.
Fields is making progress, though.
“The pocket presence is better,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “The rhythm and timing is better. Him being able to, once he starts to create – before he exits – to look down the field. That’s been really good. Taking care of the football, in terms of interceptions, that’s been good as of late. A perfect game for a quarterback is zero turnovers. That gives us a chance to win the game.”
Fields has thrown 93 passes without an interception, the longest stretch of his career. Eberflus said he talks to Fields on Saturday afternoons about ball security.
“He knows him important it is to the football team – to the success of the football team,” Eberflus said.
He’s running less often than he did last year, but he’s running into less trouble, too.
“Just learning from past mistakes, I think that’s the biggest thing,” Fields said. “Where last year at some points I would just escape the pocket or just run for no reason. So I’m just trying to move in the pocket, feel out the pocket and throw the ball downfield.”
Fields has been better about protecting himself by sliding when he does run. He expects the same from officials. He said Wednesday that he talks to officials before every single game, telling them to pay attention to late hits when he slides.
Sunday, he was hit late on the very first play. There was no flag.
“It’s just kind of frustrating, but not really astonishing,” Fields said. “Because it happens a lot.”
