Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields isn’t centered on proving himself over the ultimate seven video games of the season — although it will likely be crucial to try this as workforce management charts its future.
Fields’ objective is narrower as he prepares to make his first begin in additional than a month Sunday towards the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
“Just go out there and win games,” Fields stated Wednesday after observe at Halas Hall. “I’m not right here to show something to anyone. I’m taking part in for my teammates, I’m taking part in for the coaches and that’s it. Everything else will handle itself.
“So I’m not necessarily trying to prove anything to anybody. Just go out there with my brothers and perform.”
Bears coach Matt Eberflus introduced earlier than observe that the Bears plan to begin Fields on Sunday, saying Fields is “progressing well” from the dislocated proper thumb that saved him out of 4 video games.
Fields practiced in full Wednesday for the primary time since struggling the harm Oct. 15 within the third quarter of a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He wore tape on his thumb after deciding in earlier practices he didn’t really feel snug taking part in with a glove.
Asked if he nonetheless feels ache in his hand, he stated it’s not 100%.
“But it feels good,” he stated. “There’s still a little bit of healing left. But it’s stable.”
Fields stated he doesn’t suppose ball safety will probably be a difficulty with the harm, noting he wouldn’t be taking part in if it was. But defending the soccer is a serious focus.
He will return towards a Lions protection that ranks ninth general with 310.7 yards allowed per recreation however twentieth with 231.6 passing yards allowed per recreation. The Lions have 21 sacks and 11 takeaways, together with eight interceptions.
“If my hand gets hurt in the process, as far as the ball’s protected, that’s all that matters,” he stated. “But I’m not really out there thinking about my hand. If I was (thinking about it) out there, it’s like a mental block. There’s no mental block with my thumb and playing normal football.”
While Fields won’t be taking the big-picture view of the remainder of his third NFL season, it’s a crucial time for analysis for common supervisor Ryan Poles, Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy as they plot the workforce’s future on the place. The Bears should resolve in the event that they need to transfer ahead with Fields or draft one other quarterback — or each.
Fields had good and dangerous performances within the six video games he performed earlier than he was injured. He accomplished 61.7% of his passes for 1,201 yards with 11 touchdowns, six interceptions, 24 sacks and a 96.1 passer score.
The excessive got here towards the Washington Commanders in Week 5, when he threw for 282 yards and 4 touchdowns with no turnovers.
“I think seven weeks is enough time to show consistency and (be) the high performer that we expect him to be,” Eberflus stated. “I know he’s had some good performances this year. Certainly the last few have been solid. We expect consistency out of all our positions.”
Fields stated the 4 video games away have been essentially the most he has missed since breaking two fingers his senior yr of highschool and lacking about the identical period of time.
But Fields made it his mission to be the identical chief whilst rookie Tyson Bagent took over because the starter, going 2-2. He wrote Bagent further notes on scouting studies of defenders. And he tried to achieve a special perspective watching from the sideline.
During the Bears’ Sunday night time recreation towards the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 29, Fields tried to play the sport in his head — till he bought a name from the coaches’ field letting him know the printed cameras confirmed him calling the performs.
“So I had to stop doing that,” he stated. “But (it was) simply seeing the sport from a special perspective. … Definitely simply seeing why (Getsy) is asking sure performs. There have been just a few instances the place I needed to ask him, ‘What were you thinking on this play? What was your mindset? What was your goal to call on this play?’
“But I didn’t want to mess with his mojo because he’s locked in on game day. I think I tried to talk to him one time and, I mean, he’s so locked in he didn’t even hear me. But, yeah, definitely seeing the game from a different perspective and just the bigger picture.”
Fields’ return closes an up-and-down flip for Bagent, who accomplished 65.7% of his passes for 859 yards with three touchdowns, six interceptions, 5 sacks and a 71.4 passer score.
Eberflus stated Fields was skilled and supportive of Bagent whereas working again from the harm.
“That was very beneficial for Tyson to have that support because you can feel him being genuine about that support and really helpful,” Eberflus stated. “He has always been a great teammate, always been one of the hardest workers. He was engaged in all those game plans to be helpful and to be supportive.”
Fields stated he heard the skin chatter a couple of potential quarterback controversy throughout Bagent’s highs and lows — and he wasn’t stunned.
“That’s the world we live in nowadays,” Fields stated. “Everybody desires to trigger a stir, trigger media consideration, growth, growth, growth, feedback, tales. So that’s simply what comes with it.
“I knew that was going to happen from the get-go. So it came to me as no surprise. I was coming in the building every day being the same guy I was before I was hurt. Just trying to be the best leader I can be.”
Now the Bears will see if Fields can resume that management on the sector.
“It just starts with Sunday and just taking this day by day,” Fields stated. “That’s my focus right now.”
Injury report
Offensive lineman Nate Davis, who had an ankle harm, returned to observe in full and can resume his place at proper guard, bumping Teven Jenkins again to left guard, Eberflus stated.
Fullback Khari Blasingame (concussion) and cornerback Terell Smith (mononucleosis) additionally returned to full observe after absences.
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (knee) didn’t observe, and operating backs D’Onta Foreman (ankle) and Khalil Herbert (ankle/shin) and linebacker Jack Sanborn (ankle) have been restricted.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com