It was no secret that Justin Fields was in for a tough task Sunday in Cleveland.
The Chicago Bears rookie was tasked with making his first career NFL start against a tough Browns defense being supported by a raucous home crowd.
The game went just about as expected and Bears fans may owe Matt Nagy an apology.
Fields finished the day 6/20 for 68 yards through the air.
He was sacked an insane nine times and only added 12 yards on the ground.
Fans may be wondering if Fields is truly ready at this point.
The early signs would say he is not.
Justin Fields has been sacked 8 times today
He only has 5 completions… 😬
pic.twitter.com/KVJLBcclPA— PFF (@PFF) September 26, 2021
This was to be expected, but it doesn’t make the final result much better for Bears fans.
Still Needs Time
This game proved why Nagy has been adamant about Andy Dalton being the starter.
Fields was missing throws, holding onto the ball too long, and hurting his team by taking so many sacks.
That is usually going to be the case with any rookie quarterback.
Yet this serves as a major wake-up call to fans and pundits both inside and out of Chicago who claimed Nagy was a fool for going with Dalton.
If anything, he was trying to protect Fields from a showing like this.
The Bears also would have had a great shot to win with competent quarterback play.
Dalton may have not fit the qualification, but he sure would have done better than Fields.
Where They Go From Here
The Bears are now 1-2 on the year and a loss on the road in Cleveland is not too much of a surprise.
But now comes the point where losses can’t start piling up.
Next up is a home game against a Detroit Lions team that has fought hard all year.
Fields’ starting debut sure makes it seem like he needs more time.
The Bears still have Nick Foles on the roster if Dalton remains out with an injury.
He would arguably be a better option if the goal is to actually win and not just develop Fields.
Andy Dalton and Nick Foles are talking to Justin Fields. Matt Nagy is not.
— Ryan Fedrau (@the_fed_23) September 26, 2021
This is shades of Mitchell Trubisky all over again in how Nagy handled the offense.
As for Foles, if the Bears aren’t going to start him now then they may as well just deal him in a trade.
The Bears have been a mess at quarterback for years and cutting Trubisky loose has not magically solved their problems.
Fields is supposed to be the savior and can indeed be that one day.
He just needs more time and there is no point to throw him out there, let him fail, and claim it is not the fault of the coaching staff and front office.
NEXT: What Is Andy Dalton's Future With The Bears?