Some people have been unsure whether Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is capable of becoming a true franchise signal-caller.
After all, last season he threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (seven) while posting an anemic passer rating of 73.2.
But after the Bears’ 33-14 dismantling of the New England Patriots, Fields’ stock may be rising a bit, and NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky, himself a former NFL quarterback, thinks Fields is on the right track.
I believe this young man is getting coached and coached very well@ChicagoBears have a ways to go—but they’re going the right way! pic.twitter.com/HhtTYr6pVn
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) October 25, 2022
In that contest, the second-year man went 13 of 21 and threw one touchdown pass, while also rushing for 82 yards and an additional touchdown on 14 attempts.
Signs Of Improvement
On the season, his overall numbers don’t look much better than they did last year, but it should be noted that he is very early in his career and playing for a team that has very little in the way of viable offensive weapons.
Indeed, it was Chicago’s defense that really won Monday’s contest versus the Patriots, as it forced Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, the two QBs they used, to throw a total of three interceptions, while the Patriots only managed 260 total yards of offense.
For the rest of this season, as Fields continues to try to develop into an above-average QB, the Bears will have to win largely with defense if they’re going to make the playoffs.
Through seven contests, they rank seventh in points allowed, third in passing yards allowed, and second in passing touchdowns allowed.
At 3-4, the Bears are tied with the Green Bay Packers for second place in the NFC North, and if they start stringing wins together, they could be looking at a postseason appearance.
NEXT: Bears Finally Play To Justin Fields' Strengths