Since the Bears lost Sunday, I find myself stuck on the direction the team should take for the finale. It wasn’t that the Bears lost —they’re in the middle of a nine-game losing streak — it’s how they lost. In a season where wins have been hard to come by it was disappointing to see what can only be described as quitting.
The q-word is a terrible label. I’m sure that there are plenty of Bears players who are physically and mentally exhausted. The end of this season must feel like reaching Valhalla, but on Sunday the Bears didn’t exhibit Matt Eberflus’ H.I.T.S principle one bit and it was distressing.
This team has one more game to play, and its approach is interesting to me. Eberflus said Sunday that if Justin Fields is healthy, he will play. But should he?
Here are some arguments for and against. You decide.
QB rushing record
Justin Fields is very close to breaking Lamar Jackson’s rushing record. With one game to play, Fields only needs 64 rushing yards to set a new mark for quarterbacks. Fields has walked with the immortals, knocking down record after record. I’m not sure if this record means anything to him. He may have given us a glimpse of how he feels about his run-usage a couple weeks ago.
“I don’t plan on rushing for a 1,000 yards every year,’’ he said. “Like I said before, it’s an honor and a blessing from God and I couldn’t do it without my coaches and teammates.”
Going forward, this is not what he thinks is the most effective way to be used, but since he’s inside of an unprecedented season why not cap it off with something historic?
Game reps
Coaches believe there’s nothing more valuable than live reps. This whole season has pretty much been Fields and offensive coordinator, Luke Getsy, getting on the same page and finding out how far he can be pushed.
The problem with this as it pertains to the Vikings game is what happened against the Lions. If Bears players have already checked out and the Vikings are still fighting for seeding, it could be embarrassing. They could be physically dominated. Fields was sacked seven times by a Lions defense that struggles defensively. Fields has taken a bunch of hits this year. He had a reputation for being tough walking into the NFL and this season hasn’t done anything to change that perception.
It becomes a risk-reward situation for the Bears. Everyone wants to ensure that Fields makes it out of the season with just bumps and bruises. You don’t want him dealing with an injury while trying to get ready for next season.
Rhythm with Claypool
Since the Bears traded a high second-round pick to the Steelers for Chase Claypool, everyone has been trying to figure out how to unlock his potential and get him on the same page with Fields. Claypool had a display of frustration after the loss to the Lions. It’s understandable. I’m sure he saw this whole thing going differently in his mind.
Theoretically, the Bears could treat this like a preseason game.
They could use the reps to get Claypool more targets than the anemic one target he had in Detroit.
The counter to this is that Claypool needs the entire offseason to digest the playbook. He may be better served working through it with Fields after they each take a break to let their bodies heal.
The draft
If the NFL Draft was held today, the Bears would pick second. If they lose Sunday, there’s a chance they can snatch the top pick. Anywhere in the top three gives the Bears sufficient leverage to make trades with other teams that are desperate for one of the top quarterbacks.
The Bears need more good players. Making some savvy moves as the draft nears would allow them to rebuild faster. The nightmare scenario is that Fields has one of those games where he offers a virtuoso performance and wins the game. Then the Bears could be drafting fourth.
There’s a lot to consider. What do you hope the Bears do with Fields? Should he play or should he sit?
You can hear Laurence Holmes talk Chicago sports Monday to Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on 670 The Score with Dan Bernstein.
