That was fast.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields needed just three plays to march the Bears to a touchdown in their first drive of the preseason. On second-and-8 from their own 38-yard line, Fields threw a screen pass left to new receiver DJ Moore. He shot up the left sideline behind blocks from left tackle Braxton Jones and left guard Teven Jenkins for a 62-yard touchdown.
Fields started the game with an 11-yard pass in the flat to fullback Khari Blasingame. He handed the ball off to Khalil Herbert on the second play.
1+2=6
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 12, 2023
📺: #TENvsCHI on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/GaDq5RTL37
Fields threw a touchdown pass on the second drive, too — but running back Khalil Herbert did most of the work, catching a screen pass on third down and running up the left side for a 56-yard score. He caught the pass one yard behind the line of scrimmage and was led by center Cody Whitehair, who made a crushing block, and right guard Ja’Tyre Carter. Herbert wasn’t touched until the 7-yard line, when he broke two tackles and scored.
The Bears pulled Fields after two drives. He was 3-for-3 for 129 yards and two touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 passer rating in the 23-17 win over Tennessee.
His two touchdowns came on one pass three yards shy of the line of scrimmage and the other one yard shy of it.
The Bears decided to start Fields in the preseason opener against the Titans at Soldier Field but vowed to be smart with his usage. The Bears will have joint practices in Indianapolis next week that will allow Fields to face a team other than his own while being off-limits for tackling. The Bears consider that more valuable than work in a preseason game.
