When the Bears made the decision to roll with Justin Fields as the starting quarterback, the expectation was that there were going to be typical rookie growing pains while the young QB learned on the job.
And that’s certainly been the case, as evidenced by some pretty unimpressive box scores. But beyond that, Fields has shown progress each and every week. And it was his seventh NFL start that served as his breakout game.
Fields was impressive in a hostile environment on a prime-time stage in Monday’s loss to the Steelers, where he showcased his special skillet, including his ball placement, mobility and his poise in big moments against one of the NFL’s best defenses.
Fields completed seven passes of 15-plus yards, including some clutch throws on what was almost the Bears’ game-winning drive with less than three minutes in the game.
Fields was also Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded quarterback in Week 9 with a 90.5 grade. He received a 88.5 passing grade and 71.2 rushing grade.
The highest-graded QB in Week 9
🥇 Justin Fields – 90.5 pic.twitter.com/P66qIlBZeN
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) November 9, 2021
Justin Fields had more high-level throws on MNF than any rookie has had in a single game this year pic.twitter.com/9y6JvJFLw7
— Anthony Treash (@PFF_Anthony) November 9, 2021
Here’s what PFF had to say about Fields’ Week 9 outing:
For the first time this season, the Bears’ offense ran up against a defense that was capable of causing it huge problems. And yet, Fields actually excelled rather than being dragged down by the circumstances. He completed 17 of his 29 attempts for 291 yards, and most of his best throws came late in the game with the team needing to make plays to stay alive. Fields averaged 10.9 yards per attempt when kept clean and showed some outstanding accuracy on his completions. It’s been a rollercoaster so far for the rookie passer, but this was an encouraging outing.
The Bears have lost four straight games, but it’s hard to ignore the optimism radiating from the fans given Fields’ development. After all, that’s the most important thing this season.
While Chicago will certainly benefit from the bye this week, it’s also bittersweet knowing Fields won’t be able to immediately build off the best game of his young career.
