The Chicago Bears are hoping to hold a choice on the standing of quarterback Justin Fields till kickoff Sunday in opposition to the New York Jets.
Fields is questionable for the sport at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., after being restricted on the harm report all week. He suffered a separated left shoulder with ligament injury Sunday in a street loss to the Atlanta Falcons. If he can’t go, Trevor Siemian will substitute him.
“We’ll see where it goes,” coach Matt Eberflus stated Friday at Halas Hall. “It’s really a three-prong effect. It’s really more about the medical staff clearing him all the way into that status, him feeling really good about his performance being able to go out there and then as coaches assessing where he is throughout the week of practice.”
The Bears will maintain a walk-through Saturday morning earlier than touring to New Jersey, so it’s doable they might consider Fields and see how he’s doing Sunday morning. Two sources stated they imagine there’s a excessive chance Siemian will begin because the Bears (3-8) attempt to keep away from a five-game dropping streak for the third consecutive season. The state of affairs of Siemian beginning wouldn’t come as a shock given the group doesn’t need to see Fields undergo additional harm throughout a season by which he has proven promise.
Fields injured his non-throwing shoulder when he was tripped up close to the sideline by Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford. Fields landed on his left shoulder and remained within the recreation for the ultimate two offensive performs. Eberflus stated Fields continues to enhance, and one of the best information got here earlier within the week when the coach stated the harm wouldn’t require the quarterback to spend time on injured reserve.
Siemian, 30, a Northwestern product drafted within the seventh spherical by the Denver Broncos in 2015, was signed to a two-year contract. He is 13-16 document as a starter, together with an 0-4 mark final season with the New Orleans Saints. Siemian threw 10 landing passes and solely three interceptions in these begins.
“Every week, you’re ready to go,” Siemian stated Friday. “You anticipate to play every week truly. That’s how you have to prepare to stay in it. No different than any other week.”
Siemian stated his chemistry with extensive receivers Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Equaniemous St. Brown and others, together with tight finish Cole Kmet, is “nearly as good as it may be for being a backup.
“That’s part of my job, too, staying back and watching guys run routes, reading their body language, going over coverages, staying engaged in meetings,” he stated. “I feel good where that’s at.”
The group cleared Fields medically to observe this week, however Eberflus on Friday sounded as if the quarterback wants a further degree of clearance to face a dwell protection. Contact on the QB is off-limits in observe.
“If he plays, we’re going to hit him,” Jets coach Robert Saleh informed New York media Friday morning. “If he doesn’t, we’re going to hit the next guy.”
The Jets are tied for fourth within the NFL with 32 sacks and — after all — the Bears have allowed essentially the most sacks within the league at 40.
If the Bears sit Fields, it’ll mark the thirteenth consecutive season by which they’ve used a minimum of two beginning quarterbacks. Jay Cutler (2009) and Rex Grossman (2006) are the one quarterbacks to begin each recreation in a season since 2000. Looking forward, the group’s open date is available in Week 14 after the Dec. 4 recreation in opposition to the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. That means it’s doable Fields might miss two video games and get three weeks of relaxation earlier than probably returning for the ultimate 4 video games.
Of course, that’s solely hypothesis with Eberflus and the Bears intent on taking each minute doable to disclose their intentions. Fields’ harm is a reminder of the danger the Bears have with a dual-threat quarterback being uncovered to defenders. He has 122 carries — 46 within the final three video games — and if you add within the sacks and hits, that’s plenty of collisions.
Fields final season missed two video games with a rib harm suffered on a third-down scramble in a Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He returned to begin two extra video games earlier than an ankle harm in a Week 15 loss to the Minnesota Vikings sidelined him for 2 extra video games. He was in line to return for the season finale at Minnesota earlier than he was positioned on the COVID-19/reserve record.
Now, the Bears are taking part in the ready recreation — or making everybody else wait — earlier than choosing Sunday’s starter.
“My preference is for (Fields) to play if he’s 100% ready,” Eberflus stated.
More harm information: Strong security Jaquan Brisker, cornerback Kyler Gordon and linebacker Sterling Weatherford had been all dominated out for the sport. All three rookies are within the NFL’s concussion protocol.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com