On the ultimate play of the Chicago Bears’ last drive Sunday, Justin Fields hit the highest of his five-step drop however didn’t see something he preferred downfield. The Bears had three receivers in sample plus a seven-man safety to assist towards a Detroit Lions blitz.
The Lions created strain anyway and nothing instantly caught Fields’ eye. He hopped again, then shuffled proper. By that time, all the afternoon was in scramble mode.
Like solely Fields can, the Bears quarterback eluded linebacker Alex Anzalone and tried to reset within the pocket. But then he needed to dodge edge rusher Julian Okwara and elude Anzalone for a second time.
He was profitable too. Until Okwara jumped again to his toes, received his arms round Fields’ shoulders and, with some assist from defensive lineman John Cominsky, flung Fields to the Soldier Field grass for an upset-sealing sack.
Poof!
Once once more, the Bears hopes of a game-winning drive and belief-building victory disappeared. That lack of 10 yards on fourth-and-8 ended their newest alternative to reach a vital late-game state of affairs.
The Lions, who arrived at Soldier Field 707 days faraway from their final highway victory and entered the fourth quarter behind by 14 factors, stole a 31-30 victory. It was the Bears’ sixth loss within the final seven weeks.
“You have to be able to overcome things,” coach Matt Eberflus mentioned.
For the fifth time this season, Fields and the offense had the ball late within the fourth quarter with an opportunity to engineer a tying or successful drive and couldn’t get it finished.
“We’re putting up 30 points a game,” Fields mentioned afterward. “So just finish when we get those late-game drives.”
His dissatisfaction was shared, significantly by a gaggle of offensive gamers who’ve develop into irritated with their collective lack of ability to flourish with video games on the road.
“That’s the biggest frustration,” receiver Darnell Mooney mentioned. “Every game has come to that last moment where we have the ball. If we can’t do things to make people respect us and fear giving us the ball back, then what we can do?”
The Bears surpassed 28 factors for the fourth consecutive recreation and totaled 408 yards. Fields once more offered a flurry of “Wow!” moments, speeding for 147 yards and two touchdowns and throwing two landing passes to tight finish Cole Kmet.
It was tough to find out which of Fields’ splash-play touchdowns was extra invigorating — his 50-yard toss to Kmet late within the third quarter or his exhilarating 67-yard sprint on a zone-read play within the fourth.
At this level, Fields’ highlight-reel exploits have develop into when-not-if occasions. And for a lot of Bears followers, that proper there’s the juice, the one storyline that basically issues.
Fields and the offense have made extraordinary progress since September and now are producing on an every-week foundation. But contained in the locker room, that doesn’t alleviate the sting that accompanied the most recent missed alternative.
Center Sam Mustipher was requested how he handles the blended feelings of seeing the offense enhancing in its total manufacturing whereas failing so as to add the exclamation level with a victory.
“I don’t know that I’d describe that we’re seeing the bright side of this,” he mentioned. “It’s football. There are no moral victories. Where we’re sitting right now is not where we want to be. At the end of the day, if we have to score 45 points to win a football game, then that’s what we need to do.”
Added tight finish Ryan Griffin: “When the game’s on the line, we have to be at our best. We have to look in the mirror and see if we’re doing everything we can to be prepared for those moments.”
Sunday’s loss was a complete crew effort with pricey errors throughout all three phases. An inventory of essentially the most vital errors included however was not restricted to those:
- A holding penalty towards rookie left sort out Braxton Jones that derailed a productive opening drive and led to a discipline aim.
- Kicker Cairo Santos lacking a fourth-quarter additional level that wound up being the distinction.
- Rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon getting hit with a 15-yard pointless roughness penalty for pushing Lions quarterback Jared Goff out of bounds. That aided the Lions’ first fourth-quarter landing drive.
- Cornerback Jaylon Johnson being referred to as for an iffy hands-to-the-face foul towards receiver Trinity Benson that negated a fourth-quarter interception by Jack Sanborn with the Bears forward 24-10. Lions working again D’Andre Swift scored on a 9-yard run on the subsequent play.
On prime of that, the Bears protection did not report a takeaway for the second consecutive recreation.
Fields’ worst mistake got here with 10:38 remaining and the Bears forward 24-17. On a display screen play to Kmet, Fields didn’t like what he noticed initially, then scrambled and tried to pressure a lob to his tight finish close to the fitting sideline.
It was a poor throw and a worse resolution. Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah intercepted the go and returned it 20 yards for a game-tying landing.
“Just a dumb play,” Fields mentioned. “I can assure you that will never happen again. For the rest of my career.”
It didn’t take lengthy for Fields to make up for that blunder. Three snaps to be actual. That’s when he broke free up the center, topped 20 mph on a useless dash and had sufficient gasoline to cross the aim line on the longest run of his profession — the 67-yard landing that electrified the house crowd.
Magic like that may’t be taught. And the Bears are blessed to have it. The flooring for Fields and the offense has risen considerably over the previous month, erasing any debate as as to if Fields is a succesful beginning quarterback.
Still, if he’s to develop into the championship-caliber star many in Chicago have already got coronated him as, ultimately the offense has to recover from the hump of having the ability to execute at a excessive stage within the fourth quarter of shut video games, significantly by way of the air. Which means Fields has to enrich his unimaginable working skill with reliability as a passer.
He accomplished solely 2 of 6 fourth-quarter passes for 13 yards Sunday. That’s not an remoted incident both. In the loss to the Miami Dolphins per week earlier, Fields had 27 fourth-quarter passing yards and solely two completions for 4 yards within the last two possessions with the sport within the steadiness.
In the Bears’ seven losses this season, they’ve had 19 possessions that began within the fourth quarter and managed only one landing and 12 factors.
Fields’ fourth-quarter passing numbers for the season: 27 of 51, 229 yards, three touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 12 sacks and a 51.8 passer score.
Fields was requested what has been lacking late in video games that in any other case has been current all through the final month.
“Execution. Just finish,” he mentioned. “Pretty simple. I think that’s the next step for our offense.”
Mooney is aware of that with all of the steps the offense has made within the final two months, that subsequent one would require dogged effort and sharp focus.
“In the NFL, most games are close,” he mentioned. “When we have the ball late, we have to be able to be dominant with our two-minute (offense) and in the fourth quarter and at the end of these games. In practice, we dominate in that area.”
The Bears can solely hope the game-day breakthrough is coming quickly. Until then, the dialog on the state of the crew and the promise for the long run will stay muddled.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com