Justin Fields

Chicago Bears beat Las Vegas Raiders in Khalil Mack revenge game

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justin field, bears, matt nagy

Five weeks into the 2021 NFL regular season, the Chicago Bears are over .500 for the first time since December 27th, 2020. Chicago jumped out to an early 14-3 lead in the first half before stalling in the third quarter. The Bears would then add on two field goals in the fourth quarter, courtesy of kicker Cairo Santos.

Notable moments from the Bears win included rookie quarterback Justin Fields hitting tight end Jesper Horsted for a two-yard touchdown pass, giving Fields his first NFL touchdown. Running back Damien Williams scored again in the second quarter to cap off a 16 play, 86 yard drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock.

Bears outside linebacker, Khalil Mack, who was acquired from the Raiders for two first-round picks just one week before the start of the 2018 season had a nice revenge game against his former team. Mack totaled eight tackles, one sack, and one tackle for loss. The eighth-year pro made a key stop on the Raiders only touchdown of the afternoon, sacking Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on a two-point conversion attempt.

Rookie running back Khalil Herbert, usually a returner on special teams, had a solid outing as a running back. The sixth-round draft pick rushed 18 times for 75 yards, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Herbert used extended playing time to prove that he could be a part of the Bears’ offense moving forward, especially with injuries to veterans David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen.

Chicago’s defense was stout on third down, going 5-for-14, including a stop just before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. Sean Desai once again called a solid game as veterans like outside linebacker Robert Quinn get involved early and often, setting the tone quickly for a unit that’s continued to stack strong performances on top of each other.

What’s next for the Bears? The Green Bay Packers will come to town for a week 6 showdown. With both teams riding a winning streak, Bears-Packers next week is sure to provide plenty of entertainment.

Chicago Bears: Fields endorsement of Bill Lazor speaks volumes

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justin field, bears, matt nagy

When the Chicago Bears take the field against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon, quarterback Justin Fields will make his third consecutive start while offensive coordinator Bill Lazor is expected to call plays for the second straight game. Week 4 against the Detroit Lions at home proved that Lazor could be an effective playcaller that could produce efficiently.

While the fear is that Nagy takes over playcalling once again, Fields endorsed Lazor on Wednesday afternoon, citing Lazor’s ability to be an effective playcaller while focusing on the game.

“He calls plays in practice, so I’m just used to hearing his voice,” Fields said via the Bears official YouTube Channel. “Pretty much, like I said, he doesn’t have to worry about the defense, he doesn’t have to worry about special teams. He’s just up in the box overlooking the field and stuff like that so he’s definitely in a calmer setting. That’s kind of his personality, he’s kind of calm and kind of laid back, so I definitely like that about Bill.”

While Fields still respects head coach Matt Nagy, reading between the lines, it’s become clear that Fields seemingly prefers to have Lazor calling plays, rather than Nagy. For many, the belief is that Nagy can still be a good head coach, however, not a good playcaller. 2021 needs to be all about Fields development and part of that development needs to be a solid playcaller in place for Chicago’s coaching staff to fully evaluate Fields as a rookie.

The Bears game plan last week was catered to Fields’ strengths while also putting Fields in a position to succeed. There were multiple times where the Bears trotted out 12 and 13 personnel packages, going max protection, giving Fields an opportunity to push the ball downfield, connecting with wide receivers Darnell Mooney and Allen Robinson.

Fields endorsing Lazor could mean the winds of change are ready to sweep the Windy City, which could rejuvenate the Bears as the 2021 regular season continues to heat up.

 

Chicago Bears: Week 4 wrap up, quick takeaways, and week 5 preview

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justin field, bears

After winning at home in week 4, the Chicago Bears improve to 2-2 on the season with solid performances from rookie quarterback Justin Fields, running back David Montgomery, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and the Bears defense. Let’s look back at week 4.

1) Head coach Matt Nagy admitted after the game that offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was calling plays. Guess what? Lazor calling plays should be part of the Bears gameplan moving forward. The Bears were efficient on offense, running and passing the ball effectively, being a threat to score on every single play.

2) Fields deep ball was a thing of beauty. A quarterback capable of hitting any throw, Fields connected with wide receiver Darnell Mooney for a 32-yard gain down the sideline with just 10:54 remaining in the third quarterback. The two also connected three times on the Bears first drive for 29 yards. Fields excels at hitting the deep ball and the Bears need to get more explosive on offense, so expect to see more of the Fields-Mooney connection as the season progresses.

3) Shoutout to running backs David Montgomery and Damien Williams. The two combined for 31 carries, 161 yards, and three touchdowns. Montgomery did injure his knee and as we await the results of a scheduled MRI, should the 2019 third-round pick end up missing time, the Bears will turn to rookie running back Khalil Herbert to complement Williams.

4) The Robert Quinn revenge tour continues. Despite being 31-years old, Quinn had five tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits. With 4.5 sacks on the season, Quinn has upgraded the Bears pass rush this season, justifying the five-year, $70M contract the Bears dished out to Quinn in free agency during the 2020 offseason.

5) Can we talk about the sneaky good game that inside linebacker Alec Ogletree had? A late training camp addition, Ogletree has quickly emerged as a solid piece for the Bears defense and totaled 12 tackles and one tackle for loss on Sunday. The veteran is making a strong case for keeping the starting ILB job once Danny Trevathan returns.

6) The Bears did struggle on third down, going just 1-for-8. But as Nagy mentioned in his postgame presser, the Bears did avoid multiple third-and-long situations, which should be considered a step in the right direction. Chicago’s offense is still a work in progress and the Bears can’t afford to make many mistakes, so going 1-for-8 is still better than what the Bears have done in the past.

7) Justin Fields needs to get better at protecting the football. His first and only fumble of the afternoon came in the second half but this is the second time at home this season that Fields has lost a fumble. The 11th overall pick lost one against the Cincinnait Bengals in week 2 but recovered it to save the Bears offense.

8) Chicago averaged 6.5 yards per play on Sunday, the most yards per play Chicago has averaged this season and the highest since week 14 of the 2020 season, when the Bears averaged 6.9 yards per play against the Houston Texans at home in a 36-7 win.

9) Fields credited the Bears offensive line on four different occasions during his postgame press conference and Chicago’s front five rightfully earned it. The offensive line allowed just one sack all afternoon, compared to week three, where the entire unit allowed nine sacks.

10) The Bears were better in the redzone too, scoring on three occasions with four total redzone trips. The field gets harder to defend when a defense is back up against the ball and the Bears took advantage with smart playcalling, running the ball every time Chicago converted.

 

What about week five?

Week 5 is sure to be interesting. The Bears will travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders, with this being the second time both team’s have met since 2019. It’s another Khalil Mack revenge game, considering the Raiders got the best of Mack in 2019 during the last matchup in London.

Bears fans like to make fun of Raiders head coach Jon Gruden for trading Mack back in 2018 but Gruden also has the Raiders offense averaging 30.0 points per game. The Bears secondary will be tested in this game. Quarterback Derek Carr has passed for 435, 382, and 386 yards in three games this season.

The Bears will need to account for the Raiders skill position players, including tight end Darren Waller, wide receiver Henry Ruggs, and running back Josh Jacobs, who is listed as questionable for Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Chicago does enter another must-win game. Win in Las Vegas and Fields, who could start for the third straight week will enter week 6 against the Green Bay Packers at home with a major boost in confidence. The Bears will have a chance to get to 3-2 before having to play Green Bay and then travel to Tampa Bay in week 7 to take on the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers.

 

Chicago Bears: What does Sunday’s win over the Lions mean?

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justin field, bears

The Chicago Bears accomplished on Sunday afternoon what many fans hoped: A win against the Detroit Lions at home. In the Bears’ first divisional game of the season, Chicago closed out the Lions 24-14, with rookie quarterback Justin Fields going 11-for-17 and 209 passing yards.

The Bears’ win over the Lions is significant for two reasons. First, Chicago is back to .500 and trying to keep pace in the division with the Green Bay Packers. Second, Fields and the entire Bears offense rebounded, proving that poor playcalling and bad execution was holding the Bears offense back.

While head coach Matt Nagy acknowledged after the game that offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was calling plays, Chicago proved in week 4 that the offensive coaching staff could cater the game plan to Fields strengths. Sunday afternoon also showcased what the Bears’ philosophy on offense needs to be: A balanced offense with running back David Montgomery being fed early, setting the tone for the course of the game.

“Scoring on the first drive, that definitely sets the tone for the rest of the game,” Fields said via the Bears official YouTube Channel. “I’m just proud of everybody on offense from the o-line to the receivers to the running backs.”

What we saw on Sunday wasn’t just flashes of what Fields could become. We saw the Bears’ offense clicking at a high level, playing complementary football, keeping the defense off the field for extended periods of time. The Bears’ game plan moving forward needs to continue featuring a heavy dose of play-action and Lazor’s playcalling.

What we have to acknowledge is this: The Bears under Nagy want to develop into a pass-first offense. That won’t happen overnight but each week, the Bears can insert just a bit more passing concepts onto Fields plate. For now, however, a balanced approach is what Chicago needs, especially with a shaky offensive line that did look more than solid on Sunday afternoon.

Chicago Bears win big, QB Justin Fields shines

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justin field, bears

It was another win for the Chicago Bears against the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon as the Bears improved to 2-0 at home this season. Chicago closed out the first half with a 14-0 lead but the Bears offense set the tone by marching down the field on the game’s opening possession, capping off a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a rushing touchdown by running back David Montgomery.

From there, the Bears’ defense did its part, forcing turnovers, sacking Lions quarterback Jared Goff, while stopping Detroit’s offense three times inside the Bears’ 10-yard line, followed by forcing three consecutive punts. Chicago defense got after Goff, totaling four sacks, courtesy of Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn, Trevis Gipson, and Roquan Smith.

The real story of the afternoon was Chicago’s playcalling, which saw the Bears’ offense move the ball efficiently through the air and on the ground. Montgomery rushed 23 times for 106 yards, adding two rushing touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Veteran Damien Williams joined the fun by averaging 6.9 yards per carry, rushing eight times for 55 yards, scoring the Bears’ third rushing touchdown of the afternoon.

Fields and second-year wide receiver Darnell Mooney established a rhythm early. Dubbed the future of Chicago, the two connected three times on the Bears opening possession, with Mooney finishing the game with five receptions for 125 yards, averaging 25 yards per reception. Wide receiver Allen Robinson, who wasn’t targeted until 2:05 remaining in the first half had three receptions for 63 yards, averaging 21 yards per reception.

Chicago played complementary football all afternoon, with the offense and defense feeding off each other to play a solid game, allowing for the Bears to get back to .500. While Bears head coach Matt Nagy refused to disclose who the playcaller was on Sunday afternoon, the Bears gameplan was clearly catered to Fields, who tested the Lions’ secondary with deep throws throughout the game.

What’s next for the Bears? A road game against the Las Vegas Raiders, who have looked better than most expected to start the 2021 season, with the likelihood that Fields makes his third consecutive start.

 

Chicago Bears: Examining who really failed the offense in week three

by
justin field, bears, matt nagy

It’s been just over 48 hours since the Chicago Bears lost to the Cleveland Browns in week 3 but debates continue among the Bears fanbase and the NFL community about who was really at fault for Chicago’s offensive woes: Head coach Matt Nagy or rookie quarterback Justin Fields.

Talk to Bears fans and they’ll tell you Nagy was at fault. Listen to some in the national media, and two groups will emerge: Team Nagy and team Fields. Then there’s a third group that is willing to blame both, citing Nagy’s poor game planning coupled with Fields’ inability to get the ball out quickly as a reason for the Bears debacle on Saturday.

The answer is simple: Nagy. Three full seasons and three games into year four as head coach, Nagy has cycled through five starting quarterbacks and has yet to put together a consistent offensive. The Bears have struggled on offense and limped to the finish line each of the last two seasons, which has led to questions about Nagy’s ability to be a head coach.

From Fields’ perspective, there isn’t much that could’ve changed Sunday’s outcome. As a rookie, mistakes are expected, especially from the quarterback position. Smart coaches are able to minimize those mistakes by putting young quarterbacks in a position to succeed. Whether or not you believe that Fields was fully prepared to start, Nagy failed to put Fields in a position to succeed by not game planning around Fields’ strengths.

Considering Nagy was a catalyst behind the Bears’ decision to move up and draft Fields back in April, the fourth-year head coach needs to take the most blame for Fields’ failures. Fields arrival in the Windy City sparked newfound hope throughout the Bears fanbase, as many felt that Fields was as close to a franchise quarterback as the Bears franchise had seen in its 102-year history.

Negative narratives will continue to surround Nagy until the much-lambasted head coach can design and flawlessly execute an offense that fits Fields’ skillset. Nagy’s seat may not be hot but back-to-back losses could make his seat lukewarm, beginning the end of the Nagy era in Chicago.

Chicago Bears: Week 3 wrap up, quick tidbits, and more

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After a week three loss the Chicago Bears will officially turn the page and look forward to week four against the Detroit Lions. But before Chicago welcomes Detroit to Soldier Field for a divisional showdown, let’s look back at week 3.

 

1) First things first, let’s talk about first downs. The Bears had just six, which is the fewest of the Matt Nagy era. Not a good showing for a team that’s led by an offensive guru at head coach.

2) Some positives? The Bears pass rush duo of Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn got going, combining for 3.5 total sacks. Quinn now has more sacks in three games with the Bears than he did all of last season. Chicago is finally seeing the returns that the franchise hoped when signing Quinn to a five-year deal worth $70M in free agency in 2020.

3) “I obviously as a head coach did not do a good enough job of getting this offense ready to go, to be able to play and win a football game,” said Nagy after the game. “It starts with me, it ends with me and it’s as simple as that.”

Nagy’s quote is merely a head coach who’s taking the bullet while being open and honest. But there’s still a lot of work to be done. Everything does start and end with Nagy, which means he’ll need to cater gameplans to Justin Fields skillset, something that wasn’t done in week three.

For anyone who’s trying to get #FireNagy trending on Twitter, good luck. Bears ownership has been clear about how firings are handled. They’ll wait till the end of the season to make a decision on Nagy’s future. The Bears are also 1-2 so far, so Nagy has more room to breathe than most people think.

4) By the way, don’t blame Fields at all. For a rookie making his first start in an incredibly tough environment, Fields got no help from the Bears. If any quarterback deserves a pass for a bad performance this week, it’s Fields, who was sacked nine times, while continuing to remain composed and operating with what the Bears were giving him.

5) Figuring out what the Bears are doing with the offensive line is a tough task. Jason Peters and Germain Ifedi aren’t the tackles of the future, that distinction is reserved for Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom but this game showed that the interior of the offensive line (James Daniels, Cody Whitehair, and Sam Mustipher) needs to get better at communication too.

6) Tons of credit to defensive coordinator Sean Desai. After getting punched in the mouth on national television in week 1, Desai and the defense have adjusted nicely, putting together two solid performances. Desai may not have a talented secondary but the defense is looking better each week, a positive for the Bears.

7) No idea what the Bears are doing with the running game. After two strong performances, David Montgomery was shutdown on Sunday, with just 10 carries for 34 yards, averaging 3.4 yards per carry. That’s the lowest mark of Montgomery’s career since week 17 of the 2020 season. Matt Nagy panicked and got away from the running game way too early, something that’s also been an integral part of the offense when everything is clicking.

8) Jaylon Johnson wasn’t bad but he wasn’t great either. Tasked with shutting down Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the second-year cornerback had some bright moments, showing us all why he’s a rising star in the NFL and one of the most underrated players at his position across the league.

9) We’re all still waiting for the big Darnell Mooney breakout game to happen. After 61 receptions as a rookie, Mooney had just one reception for nine yards on Sunday. The fifth-round pick did have six receptions for 66 yards in week two but has yet to find the endzone this season. Hopefully that changes with the Lions coming to town next week.

10) Khalil Herbert has done some nice work as a kick returner on special teams. After averaging 23.8 yards per return on Sunday, the Bears need to get Herbert involved in the running game, hoping he can provide some sort of spark.

 

Looking Ahead to Week Four

The Lions may be 0-3 but there’s a catch: Two of Detroit’s three losses have been by a combined 11 points. Bears fans like to make fun of the Lions on social media but head coach Dan Campbell at least has this team playing hard when it matters the most.

Perhaps the strongest positional group on the Lions is the offensive line, which features two first-round picks in Penei Sewell and Frank Ragnow. Watching Detroit against Green Bay on Monday Night Football in week 2, it was clear that the Lions’ OL was good enough to allow quarterback Jared Goff to at least have a fighting chance on every play.

The Bears will need to account for the Lions running back duo, Jamall Williams and D’Andre Swift. Both have impacted games heavily as receivers this season, with the stat sheet on Sunday being a major example. Swift and Williams combined for nine receptions for 85 yards. Detroit may not have a star wide receiver on the roster but Williams and Swift have quickly become Goff’s best friends.

 

Chicago Bears: Change needs to happen for the present and future

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Cleveland, OH- It was an afternoon that included missed opportunities, blown-up plays, and questionable playcalls for the Chicago Bears. Much of the Bears’ struggles on offense were apparent on Sunday afternoon but the past repeated itself. The same issues that Chicago struggled with on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns were the same ones the Bears struggled with throughout 2019 and 2020.

The Bears need some sort of change. That much is apparent. The change fans want is the firing of head coach Matt Nagy, which isn’t realistic, given ownership’s track record includes waiting to fire coaching staffs until the end of the season. The change that can be made includes Nagy relinquishing playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, something the franchise experimented with at one point during the 2020 season that led to some success for the Bears.

“I obviously as a head coach did not do a good enough job of getting this offense ready to go, to be able to play and win a football game,” said Nagy after the game. “It starts with me, it ends with me and it’s as simple as that.”

For Nagy to say that everything starts and ends with him is generic. In the NFL, everything for a team on Sunday starts and ends with the head coach. But for the Bears and Nagy, circumstances are different. The defense has continued to carry the team over the last four seasons. The offense has yet to come up with a decent showing, leading to questions about Nagy’s ability to playcall but also lead an NFL franchise.

“This is not how we wanted it to go,” Nagy said. “You almost can’t even make it up, it’s that bad. But we got to get to the film and we got to make sure we’re hard on ourselves and we understand the whys and really, just go from there.”

Every NFL team moves forward at some point after a loss but for the Bears, questions now linger. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields’ debut was also on Sunday afternoon and part of the Bears evaluation process will include figuring out where Fields excelled and where the 11th overall pick struggled. The Bears know that in order to put Fields in a position to succeed, change needs to happen for both the present and future of the franchise.

Chicago Bears: A forgettable loss in week three means a long week ahead

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bears, matt nagy

It was a forgettable afternoon for the Chicago Bears who marched into Cleveland to take on the Browns with the hopes of pulling off an upset with rookie quarterback Justin Fields making his first NFL start. After an opening possession that put the Bears on the board with a field goal, Chicago’s offense struggled to get anything going throughout the rest of the afternoon.

The running game wasn’t working. The Bears’ offensive line couldn’t block either. Cleveland’s defense totaled nine sacks, with Fields going just 6-for-20 and 68 yards passing, averaging a porous 3.4 yards per attempt. The only silver lining was the Bears’ defense, which sacked Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield five times as pass rushers Robert Quinn and Khalil Mack combined for 3.5 total sacks.

Fields struggles were apparent and as a rookie, 68 yards shouldn’t define his entire afternoon but after the Bears still have a lot of work to do. much of which revolves around Fields. Before week 4, the Bears need to do some serious self-reflection. The offensive line needs to be better. The playcalling needs to be catered to Fields’ skillset. Figuring out the running game and scheming wide receivers open wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Don’t blame Fields for the Bears’ struggles but blame head coach Matt Nagy for not moving the pocket more, using Fields legs to create opportunities. The Bears need to use more play-action as a way of ensuring that wide receivers are able to get open, giving Fields time to make plays.

The Bears’ best plays of the afternoon included a 16-yard run by David Montgomery, 11-yard completion to Cole Kmet, and an 18-yard pass to wide receiver Allen Robinson. Chicago also punted on five straight possessions and came away with just three points in the second half.

What’s next for the Bears? A home game against the 0-3 Detroit Lions with an opportunity to get back to .500 by the end of week 4. The Bears have a lot of work to do and Sunday’s loss against the Browns proved that there is more than just the quarterback position that needs to be fixed on the Bears’ offense.

 

 

What progress will the Chicago Bears see from Justin Fields in week 3?

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When the Chicago Bears take the field against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon, the Justin Fields era will officially be underway. The Fields era beginning also means an evaluation period for the rookie quarterback, who hopes to finally be the answer for the Bears quarterback woes.

During training camp, Bears head coach Matt Nagy discussed the progress Fields made since being drafted back in April. After mastering how to call plays into the huddle, Fields’ next step was learning to read defenses both in pre-snap and post-snap situations. When the Bears offense takes the field, Fields every rep will be under the microscope both in the moment and afterwards as Nagy and the Bears franchise hope to develop a quarterback the right way.

“Since we’ve drafted him you kind of start understanding okay big picture of where you’re at with him, things that he does well and then you just kind of see it in training camp and we were able to really get a feel for the things that we like or don’t like with him in in in training camp,” Nagy said via the Bears official YouTube Channel. “And then in the preseason so now we get together as a staff and we just talk through the things that we think he does well for us.”

The Bears will see progress from Fields when the coaching staff is willing to cater gameplans to Fields strengths. That means using play-action while getting the vertical passing game going. Expect to see wide receivers Darnell Mooney, Allen Robinson, and Marquise Goodwin, with a dose of tight end Cole Kmet to allow Chicago to continue developing the vertical passing game with Fields.

“Getting reps with the offense instead of just working with the scout offense so it’s definitely gonna have me more prepared this week and I’m excited,” Fields said via the Bears official YouTube channel.

Excitement surrounds Fields, who will return to the state of Ohio to play a meaningful football game for the first time since the 2020 season. The progress Fields makes this Sunday will be an indicator of what’s to come for the Bears franchise, with every game being a true test.