ASK THE REPORTER BRAD BIGGS

Do you think having Justin Fields run as much as he has lately is a good idea in the long term? What do you think the Bears’ thinking is there? So much running seems to set him up for injury risk. — @brooklyncorn

Roughly half of the running Fields has done over the last three games has been on scrambles. I get what you’re saying and wonder about it myself, but Fields probably has taken harder hits in the pocket this season than he has in the open field. He does a really good job of understanding where defenders are when he’s on the run and has proved to be smart about sliding and getting out of bounds when it’s appropriate. You have to play to the strengths of your personnel, and why limit what Fields can do athletically? He’s a strong, physical runner and isn’t easy to catch or tackle.

I asked Michael Vick a similar question when we chatted Monday, pointing out that Robert Griffin III’s career was basically short-circuited after a serious knee injury.

“No, I don’t think you have to be concerned about guys,” Vick said. “If you’ve got a smaller frame, you should be concerned. I was concerned with Trey Lance and the way they were using him early in the season in San Francisco. I thought he was a little taller, longer and lankier. He’s not built like a Cam Newton.

“The coordinators have got to know their guys and what he can give and what he can take when he’s in the line of fire. I don’t recommend putting your guy in harm’s way unless that is something that is mutual as far as the feelings. Injuries can happen on any play. If you have a guy that is athletic, you should let him roll. You can get your knee blown out or shoulder blown out standing in the pocket throwing the ball.”

Fields is a good-sized quarterback at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. I wouldn’t be more concerned about him being hurt in the open field than I would in the pocket.

Do you think if the Bears play their cards right, they can be a last-minute playoff team? — @xxxwatts83xxxx

The Bears (3-6) are 4½ games behind the Vikings (7-1), so winning the NFC North seems like a real long shot. To have a decent shot at sneaking into the postseason as a wild-card team, figure the Bears have to get to 9-8. That means winning six of their final eight games. With a defense that is struggling and was blitzed for 84 points in the last two weeks, that also seems like a long shot.

The surge in scoring — the Bears have scored 94 points in the last three weeks — provides some confidence they can come out on the right side of some shootouts. They’ve also been much more effective in the red zone recently. The Eagles and Bills are on the schedule, and while the Bears are favored Sunday against the Lions, they’re likely to be an underdog in the majority of the remaining games. It’s possible an 8-9 record could nab the final NFC playoff berth, but the Bears likely would have to win a tiebreaker. That gets complicated to evaluate at this point. Playoff odds for this team are low.