For these questioning in regards to the official standing of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields after he suffered a left shoulder damage in Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, coach Matt Eberflus broke out his trusty “we’ll see” stamp Monday.
“Right now, it’s day-to-day,” Eberflus mentioned. “We’ll see where he is on Wednesday. So we’ve got time.”
Is it possible, Eberflus was requested, that Fields might play Sunday in opposition to the New York Jets?
“We’ll see where it goes,” he mentioned. “Day-to-day. We’ll see. Got to evaluate on Wednesday. And then we’ll see where it is from there.”
On the flip facet, have the Bears dominated out the likelihood that Fields’ damage could possibly be season-ending?
“We have not ruled that out at this point,” Eberflus mentioned. “We’ll see where it is on Wednesday.”
Sorry for the confusion, people. This is solely a part of Eberflus’ teaching DNA and his firmly held perception that concealing damage info provides his workforce a aggressive benefit. So don’t count on many specifics out of Halas Hall on the well being of the workforce’s most essential participant till a league-mandated damage report is issued after apply Wednesday.
Smart cash says Fields could wind up on the shelf for a bit after he landed onerous on his left shoulder throughout a run late within the fourth quarter of the 27-24 loss to the Falcons.
A league supply indicated Monday night that Fields suffered a big damage to his shoulder that can go away him compromised till additional discover. With that within the equation, the last-place Bears can be silly to hurry Fields again into motion and will face some troublesome selections within the coming weeks as they weigh his long-term future in opposition to his current developmental wants.
The Bears will return to apply Wednesday in Lake Forest, and it’s doubtless veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian shall be taking first-team reps. That would definitely change the story arc for a 3-8 workforce that has been using the wave of pleasure Fields created over the previous month together with his productiveness and highlight-reel playmaking.
It additionally would require a big adjustment to the way in which the offense operates. The Bears tailor-made their method in mid-October to spotlight Fields’ athleticism and explosiveness as a runner. Siemian has a distinct set of instruments.
Asked how large of a problem it could be to reconfigure the offense with out Fields, Eberflus expressed little concern.
“I don’t think that would take that much,” he mentioned. “We would simply lean on one facet of the offense versus leaning on the facet that we’ve expanded to to a sure diploma. I feel that might be a fairly straightforward transition.
“Trevor is obviously a very smart individual, a very good passer. He has a great grasp of the offense. He’s been here since Day 1. High functional intelligence. We’re excited about that guy.”
Buckle in, Chicago. Fields Fever could also be giving solution to Trevor Time.
Here’s your Week 11 QB rewind.
Defining second
Both the play and hit that interrupted Fields’ season had been pretty routine. On a quarterback sweep to the left, an aggressive deal with by Falcons cornerback Dee Alford stopped Fields for a 1-yard acquire.
Alford detailed what he noticed in the course of the sequence on the the Bears’ closing drive. He seen large receiver Darnell Mooney blocking down on linebacker Rashaan Evans and understood his duties as the sting setter in that state of affairs.
“I was able to beat their offensive linemen with my speed and make the play on Fields,” Alford mentioned.
While Fields absorbed Alford’s hit close to his left thigh as he approached the sideline, the quarterback landed onerous on his left facet and got here up wincing. The Bears had to make use of a timeout to are inclined to Fields’ shoulder damage.
“I was about to celebrate,” Alford mentioned. “But (safety) Richie Grant is a great teammate and he told me, ‘I think he’s down.’ So I didn’t want to celebrate. I wasn’t trying to (hurt him) or anything like that. I was just being a football player making a play.”
Fields acknowledged his discomfort instantly after he landed however indicated he was OK to proceed the possession.
“It was the last drive of the game,” he mentioned. “I was just trying to be there for my teammates and fight through the pain.”
For these questioning why offensive coordinator Luke Getsy known as a second consecutive quarterback run with Fields in apparent ache, Eberflus set the document straight Monday, noting the decision was truly for a halfback draw to David Montgomery.
“That was just miscommunication on that play between the halfback and quarterback,” Eberflus mentioned.
Fields turned that damaged second-down play right into a 4-yard pickup. But he turned the ball over on the following snap, a third-and-5 throw that security Jaylinn Hawkins picked off.
Fields was a beat or two late attending to his check-down learn. Then, with poor footwork and shaky fundamentals, he made his closing throw of the sport with a little bit of a clumsy hop on a move to Montgomery and sailed it. Montgomery leaped and bought each fingers on the ball, however it ricocheted to Hawkins for a loss-sealing interception.
On its personal, it was a deflating turnover late in a winnable recreation. It additionally marked the third consecutive recreation the Bears had possession within the closing three minutes with an opportunity to place collectively a game-tying or go-ahead drive and couldn’t get it completed. They dropped to 1-6 this season in video games determined by one rating.
At some level, Fields and the offense should clear the hurdle of efficiently responding to a game-deciding drive. But he might need to attend some time for his subsequent likelihood if the shoulder damage sidelines him for a big chunk of time.
After going through the Jets, the Bears play the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 4 at Soldier Field earlier than a Week 14 open date.
On the brilliant facet
For the fifth consecutive recreation, Fields had each a passing landing and a speeding landing, tying Kyler Murray’s NFL-record streak. That’s a testomony to the way in which Fields has enlivened this offense since mid-October together with his constant playmaking prowess.
His landing move on the Bears’ opening drive was a factor of magnificence, a 16-yard strike to Mooney, who used a swap launch in opposition to Alford, then picked up a worthwhile choose from fellow receiver Equanimeous St. Brown to interrupt open up the left sideline. The play design was excellent and the execution was crisp.
Fields dropped his throw into the again nook of the tip zone for his eighth landing move within the final 4 video games.
Fields’ 4-yard working rating additionally got here with an help from St. Brown, who cleared out linebacker Lorenzo Carter on the level of assault. With a convoy of blockers in entrance of him, Fields used his imaginative and prescient, made his minimize on the proper second and rolled into the tip zone untouched.
A month in the past, Bears common supervisor Ryan Poles mentioned he would assess Fields’ progress largely on the flashes he might present. In the 5 video games since Poles made that declaration, there have been extra flashes than on the purple carpet at a Hollywood premiere.
Fields’ most spectacular throw Sunday was a 32-yard, off-script completion to Montgomery up the appropriate sideline on the Bears’ fourth-quarter landing drive. Fields broke the pocket with a rollout to his proper and directed Montgomery up the sideline. With Carter trailing in protection, Fields dropped a dime into Montgomery’s fingers.
“Justin being Justin,” Montgomery mentioned. “Making things happen.”
Six performs later, Montgomery capped that 13-play, 75-yard drive with a 2-yard run that tied the sport at 24.
Uh-oh
Fields’ interception — his eighth this season — punctuated a shaky second half for the Bears offense, which scored on just one of 4 possessions and totaled solely 99 yards after halftime.
The Bears had been on a heater since Week 7, scoring a minimum of 28 factors in 4 consecutive video games and scoring in double digits in 9 consecutive halves, together with Sunday’s 17-point first half.
But the breakdowns outnumbered the large performs within the second half.
Fields was sacked 3 times on the primary two possessions of the third quarter with each drives ending in punts. He was 7 of 9 passing within the second half for 82 yards with a 65.0 ranking.
For a wide range of causes, the Bears had been out of sync too typically within the second half. Receivers had problem getting open. The offensive line malfunctioned in move safety at occasions. Fields confirmed moments of hesitance or jitteriness within the pocket.
Throughout the afternoon, the Falcons used a mesh cost method to comprise the Bears’ zone-read working recreation, sending a defensive finish vertically towards the mesh level and limiting Fields’ explosive runs inside these ideas.
Fields rushed for 85 yards on 18 makes an attempt, however his 4.7 yards per rush was his lowest common since Week 2.
Falcons defenders had been stuffed with reward for Fields after the sport.
“Man, he can really extend plays,” Alford mentioned. “We had them in third-down situations often and he was able to break tackles, break free and extend the play. Shouts out to Justin Fields. He’s a good ballplayer.”
Added defensive lineman Grady Jarrett: “He’s so quick, man. In all directions. If you’re coming at him up the middle, he can roll out. If you’re coming from the side, he can step up. And at the last minute, he has that knack for doing great things.”
Still, the Falcons felt like they established a very good plan to restrict the Bears, then executed it properly.
“Basically we knew we had to tackle well, make the plays that came our way,” Alford mentioned. “We knew if we could get them into third-and-long, we could force Justin Fields to sit in the pocket. Then our D-Line did its thing, got us a few sacks. … Our goal was to keep them one-dimensional.”
Odds and ends
- The Bears transformed 9 of 16 third-down alternatives. That marked the third consecutive recreation and fourth time this season that they had successful charge of fifty% or above. Believe it or not, the Bears at the moment are fifth within the league on third down at 45.6%. Coming out of Week 5 in October, they had been twenty eighth at 35%. Perhaps probably the most notable conversion Sunday was a third-and-12 completion to St. Brown for 14 yards after Fields danced out and in of the pocket for greater than 10 seconds earlier than discovering a gap and throwing.
- Cole Kmet’s 24-yard reception could not compete with Justin Jefferson’s mind-blowing 32-yard reception for the Minnesota Vikings within the fourth quarter in opposition to the Buffalo Bills earlier this month. But Kmet’s one-handed snag of a Fields move up the seam deserves to be in that consideration. It wasn’t simply that Kmet speared the ball out of the air together with his proper palm whereas leaping, it’s that he maintained full management of the catch regardless of being drilled by cornerback A.J. Terrell as quickly as he touched the soccer. Kmet’s scoring streak ended at three video games, however he bought the comfort prize of getting the highest play on ESPN’s “Top 10″ listing for Sunday.
- The Bears nonetheless have the league’s Thirty second-ranked passing offense, averaging 128.1 yards. They have been held beneath 200 internet passing yards in all however one recreation this season, and Sunday marked the seventh time they didn’t prime 150. Their 3.5% interception charge can also be worst within the NFL.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com