Promising start for Justin Fields
The quarterback was “as calm as can be” and in control in the Bears’ preseason win over the Dolphins.
Less than a minute remained in the first half Saturday afternoon, and much of the crowd at Soldier Field seemed to be growing restless. The Bears had had five offensive possessions in their preseason opener but had yet to pick up a first down.
“The Justin Fields Show” that 43,235 fans had come to see was slow in getting started.
A trio of three-and-outs. Two penalties. Four consecutive incompletions.
There was also a low snap that skidded into Fields’ shoe tops and was recovered for a 2-yard loss by Khalil Herbert. Plus, on a third-and-12 late in the second quarter, when Fields tried to improvise and make something happen, he did exactly what he promised earlier in the month he would try his darnedest to avoid. He ran into traffic, didn’t get out of bounds
or slide and instead tried twirling past Miami Dolphins cornerback Nik Needham. It didn’t work.
Fields fumbled, raced to pounce on the loose ball and made a humorous declaration after the game.
“After that, I’ve officially retired the spin move,” he said. “I don’t see that coming out anytime soon.”
But in the final minute of the first half, with anxiety and frustration swirling inside his new workplace, Fields checked into the huddle and went to work the way winning quarterbacks do. He calmly led the Bears 42 yards in 38 seconds.
Never did it seem like he was pressing. Never did he seem flustered or rushed.
Without any jaw-dropping highlights, Fields simply picked the Dolphins apart with five completions on six throws.
His penultimate completion of the half came as he escaped the pocket with his eyes scanning the field. At the last instant he spotted receiver Justin Hardy over the middle and slung a fastball into Hardy’s belly for a 15-yard gain. Off script but on target.
After a timeout, with 8 seconds left and the Bears at the Dolphins 43, Fields looked for big yardage but astutely settled for a sideline check-down to Jesse James at the 35.
Cairo Santos closed the first half with a 53-yard field goal as time expired. And, well, even with the Bears trailing 13-3, the city of Chicago had its first peek at many of the qualities that have the potential to make Fields special.
He was relaxed. He was confident. He stayed in the now.
“It was very important just to get points up,” Fields said, “and to get some momentum going our way.”
By the end of the afternoon, after Fields threw for 142 yards and a touchdown and ran for 33 yards and another score to spark a 20-13 Bears win, the compliments were flowing.
“The one thing you felt from Justin that we all took away was he was extremely calm the whole time,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said.
Added Bears receiver Rodney Adams: “He’s a natural.”
And on Twitter? Well, at 2:07 p.m., none other than LeBron James voiced his admiration for the rookie quarterback.
“Justin Fields is so SPECIAL man!!” James wrote. “Keep going young [king].”
Pretty cool, right Justin?
“Of course it’s an honor to get a shoutout by him,” Fields said with a smile. “I think this is my second shoutout.”
Indeed, on New Year’s Day, as Fields and Ohio State were dismantling Clemson in a 49-28 Sugar Bowl win, James had offered praise.
“Give @justnfields his (roses) now why he’s still a BUCKEYE !!!!! He’s flat out SPECIAL!!”
So no, none of this bright-lights, big-stage stuff is new to Fields. Nor is it anything that really affects him. Asked Saturday if he had felt any jitters before or during his first NFL game, he just shrugged.
“Surprisingly no,” he said. “I was as calm as can be today.”
And the speed of the game? Did that take some time to adjust to?
“It was actually kind of slow to me, to be honest,” Fields said. “I was expecting it to be a little faster.”
Good luck trying to slow the Fields tidal wave now. The energy he is creating continues to grow and might wash Andy Dalton out of his current starting role sooner than the Bears originally had planned. Dalton oversaw the first two possessions of Saturday’s game — with a patched-together offensive line, without top receiver Allen Robinson and with no intent from coaches of subjecting David Montgomery to an August pounding. Quickly, the Bears went three-and-out twice.
That was hardly a big enough sample size to draw any grand conclusions. Dalton still has the inside track to open the season as the starter with his experience and knowledge providing a steadiness that rookies typically can’t supply. But the idea of Fields spending the entirety of this fall on the sideline seems more preposterous with each passing day.
It was no coincidence Dalton’s postgame news conference Saturday featured only five questions. The first two were about Fields.
“Obviously he played great,” Dalton said. “I’m happy for him.”
Even Nagy has been quick to remind Bears fans that he’s in love with the new young quarterback as much as they are. Nagy feels the Fields anticipation swelling. And he’s thrilled it is.
“It’s very real,” he said. “Everybody here is super excited about the way he played today. We all want the same thing. We understand the buzz. We understand the excitement. That’s why we drafted him.”
Fields’ 8-yard touchdown run came on a play that broke down. James was tripped up as he sprinted toward the right side of the end zone, and Fields had no one to throw to. He also had Dolphins defensive end Tyshun Render pawing at him in the pocket. But recognizing man-to-man coverage and trusting his speed, Fields escaped back left.
“I saw everybody gloved up, everybody covered,” Fields said. “So I just started to run toward the end zone.”
Everyone at Soldier Field knew the Bears had a touchdown even as Fields was still scurrying 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Man, what a luxury.
Fields’ touchdown pass, that 30-yard strike to James on the next possession? Well, that was the result of a well-designed, welltimed play call with James leaking free into the open field for what undoubtedly will be the easiest NFL touchdown pass Fields ever throws. James was never covered. Fields would have had to try hard to screw that one up.
But that touchdown drive was sparked by a 21-yard Fields run, another mess-turnedmagic with the rookie cutting up the field and knifing past and around several Dolphins defenders before darting out of bounds. That’s what special speed combined with sharp instincts will do for an offense.
On the previous possession, Fields converted third-and-9 by bluffing a run and dumping off a pass to Adams for a 13-yard gain. After the game, Fields seemed amused by how easy that was.
“I definitely feel good outside the pocket,” he said. “I feel very comfortable. It puts a lot of stress on the defense. … It allows me to kind of play backyard football with the receiver.”
So simple, right? As involved as football strategy so often is, the game’s biggest game-changers have a knack for creating a backyard-football element and thriving in it.
Fields, obviously, has a lot more to learn and a lot more growth ahead as he continues through his rookie orientation. First-unit defenses in regular-season games that matter will challenge and confuse Fields to a greater degree. But if Saturday was proof of anything, it’s that at 22 years old, he has a way staying in total control.
The natural calm Fields possesses breeds confidence. And that confidence turns into an infectious energy.
On Saturday, that energy was felt all throughout Soldier Field. At the very least, it felt like a bit of a springboard for Fields.