Justin Fields had about as rough a rookie debut as one could think of in Cleveland. Could he gather himself and play better against the Detroit Lions? So far so good. In an outstanding first quarter that saw the 11th overall pick go 4-for-4 for 93 yards, it was all encapsulated by an absolutely gorgeous bomb to Darnell Mooney.
Benefitting from great protection, Fields fired a laser to the Bears receiver, hitting him in stride for 64 yards. It's the longest pass play the Bears have seen in years and eventually set up a David Montgomery 9-yard touchdown
run to take a 14-0 lead. This is the first evidence that Chicago has a quarterback who can make those dagger strike throws down the field. It's a matter of him getting the necessary protection.
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This at least can be called progress.
Justin Fields is still going have his learning moments moving forward. Yet the goal for the Bears has always been finding ways to get him experience and build his confidence. That did not happen in Cleveland. Getting a chance to play the 0-3 Lions at home felt like the perfect opportunity to rebound. Thus far things have gone exactly as hoped. No doubt helped by head coach Matt Nagy no longer calling plays. That responsibility appears to be back in the hands of Bill Lazor.
There is already a noticeable difference. Fields is playing under center a lot more and the team is feeding Montgomery. This is a similar approach to what the Bears did in the second half of last year. An approach that seemed to work.
Cole Kmet said that was something the players argued for when Nagy spoke to them about possible changes. Hopefully, it is a trend that will continue. Fields certainly doesn't seem to hate it. All the more reason to continue.
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