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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Alyssa Barbieri

Bear Necessities: Is Justin Fields in for another big day vs. Lions?

When the Bears host the Lions on Sunday, all eyes will be on second-year quarterback Justin Fields, who has been on a tear over the last three weeks.

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Since the mini-bye week, Fields has looked like a different quarterback after some early-season struggles. That had to do with the implementation of more designed QB runs, which has unlocked a new element on offense and allowed Fields to feel more comfortable in both the passing and run game.

Fields is coming off a record-setting performance agains the Dolphins where he rushed for 178 yards, the most by a quarterback in the regular season. Now, the entire league is on notice about Fields.

For the Lions, the game plan is simple: “Can’t let (Fields) scramble,” said Lions rookie defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, via Lions Wire.

But that’s easier said than done.

We’ve seen teams approach Fields in different ways, whether it’s using a spy (which takes away a defender in the passing game) or opting to rely on their pass rush to keep him in the pocket.

It sounds like the Lions are ready to try a combination of things in hopes of doing what others have struggled to do — stop Fields.

“Well, I think you’ve got to use a little bit of everything,” said Lions coach Dan Campbell. “Really, I think there’s a place to spy, I think there’s a place to pressure, I think there’s a place to really play more coverage and keep everything in front of you and then rally to it. So, I think it’s all-encompassing.”

In the last three games, Fields has rushed for 320 yards, completed 65 percent of his passes and accounted for nine touchdowns. So while you have to account for Fields as a run threat, he can also air it out.

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