Bears QB Justin Fields finds 'relief' after overcoming sloppy game to secure win over Vikings

One play.

All night, the Chicago Bears needed the offense to make one play against the Minnesota Vikings. They refused

Repeatedly, the Bears’ defense pulled out all the stops, enforced turnovers, secured short fields, and did all they could to provide their offense an opportunity to win. However, their efforts were continually met with a blatant display of incompetence.

After Joshua Dobbs finally woke the slumbering Vikings offense for a touchdown to give Minnesota a 10-9 lead, another head-shaking Chicago loss felt inevitable. It felt doubly so after Justin Fields fumbled for the second consecutive drive, turning a potential two-score lead into a Minnesota first down away from a 10-9 loss.

However, the defense once again stood strong, compelling a punt.

Finally, after what seemed to be 45,000 bubble screens, ineffective backfoot tosses, and runs straight into the arms of defenders, the Bears managed to make a play.

Facing third-and-10, Fields had time, as the blitz-happy Brian Flores dropped his defense into coverage and found D.J. Moore for the game’s biggest play, a 36-yard-gain to set up a chip-shot game-winning field goal. Bears 12, Vikings 10.

Fields expressed his gratitude to his teammates after the victory, saying, “The guys never faltered. I appreciate the guys in the locker room for their unwavering support and belief in me. Our defense played brilliantly, enabling us to get the ball back for the final drive, while our offense executed the plays flawlessly,” according to the official transcript. He added, “It felt incredible to overcome the challenges and the fluctuations of the game. The guys maintained their composure, neither too elated nor too dejected, and we persevered till the end. It was a good experience.”

Despite being given excellent field position throughout the game, Fields and the Bears’ offense couldn’t get the ball into the end zone. They produced 4.7 yards per play over 68 plays.

Luke Getsy, the offensive coordinator, responded to the aggressive defense of the Vikings by using screens and quick throws, a strategy that swiftly lost its effectiveness. According to Next Gen Stats, Fields targeted 43.2 percent of his throws at or behind the line of scrimmage, a record high for any QB in a single game in 2023 (with a minimum of 20 attempts). Fields’ air yards per attempt stood at 2.7, marking his career’s lowest.

Fields has many shortcomings, but devising such a strategy for a quarterback of that caliber is akin to driving a Ferrari in circles around a dead-end street. What’s the purpose?

For the second week in a row, it seemed as though the Bears would squander a four-turnover performance by their defense. Fields’ second fumble appeared to determine Chicago’s destiny. Numerous factors can be blamed for Chicago’s faltering offense, ranging from the play-calling, to the weak offensive line, to the lack of consistency, and to the quarterback missing plays. Nevertheless, even the most staunch supporters of Fields must admit that the consecutive fumbles were entirely his responsibility.

“Firstly, I shouldn’t have fumbled,” stated Fields. “I need to improve my ball security. It’s interesting because I think Roschon (Johnson) fumbled a play or two before my first fumble. I had even mentioned to him, ‘Right now, ball security is paramount.’ Yet, just two plays later, I fumbled myself. The second fumble felt like a major setback.”

Fortunately for Fields, his defense finally gave him another opportunity to make a significant play.

“The QB expressed relief, saying, “We came into halftime leading, with our defense delivering a strong performance. Although our offense started slower than we’d have liked, it wasn’t a significant issue in the first half. Our focus from the second half onwards was to maintain that lead and finish strongly, as we’ve had instances this season where we haven’t done a good job of closing out games. I’m proud of everyone for their resilience and determination to see the game through to the end, regardless of the circumstances. Ultimately, we secured the win, which is all that matters.”

A week after failing to secure a win against a division opponent, Matt Eberflus’s team finally secured their first NFC North victory since 2021, marking the first such win of Eberflus’s coaching tenure.