With each passing week, the Bears’ chances of obtaining the No. 1 overall pick via the Carolina Panthers have ticked up. As the percentage has ticked up, the pressure to find the correct answer to the franchise’s most pressing question has ratcheted up.

Is Justin Fields a franchise quarterback, or is a change needed this offseason?

A month ago, all the breadcrumbs pointed to the Bears heading in a different direction under center.

Fields had been inconsistent as a passer and missed four games due to a dislocated right thumb. The flashes were still there. The rare athleticism still evident. The potential tantalizing.

But all that does is get people fired.

Fields returned from his thumb injury in Week 12, needing to string together an impressive final stretch that showed growth and high-level quarterbacking that Poles can build around.

Anything less, and the Bears’ choice would be obvious, with two blue-chip prospects in Caleb Williams and Drake Maye set to enter the 2024 NFL Draft.

Fields is aware of his uncertain future in Chicago. He’s not letting it weigh him down. If anything, it might be elevating his game.

The third-year quarterback was good in his return to action against the Detroit Lions in Week 11. He showed increased pocket presence and escaped the pocket with a passer’s mentality, keeping his eyes downfield to find an open man in space. These are checkpoints head coach Matt Eberflus, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko have been wanting to see.

Fields followed that up with a game-winning drive in Minnesota, during which he fumbled twice in critical moments. Fields erased those mistakes with a third-down strike to DJ Moore to set up a game-winning field goal. It was progress, but warts remained.

Entering the bye week, the feeling in league circles was that the Bears would still move on from Fields. Could five games really negate everything that has come before? It’s also important to remember that decisions are often made with the decision-maker’s own self-interest in mind.

“Do you really want to be the GM that passes on Caleb Williams?” a league source told NBC Sports Chicago. “If you don’t know for sure that Fields is your guy at this point, he’s probably not your guy. Betting on flashes and potential is a good way to get fired. If you pick Williams and he busts, it’s probably not going to cost you your job.

“I understand why it’s still a question. He’s got talent and the tools you want for the today’s game. But is he going to win you a Super Bowl?”

But that opinion isn’t unanimous.

The Bears entered Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions with a 94 percent chance of earning a top-two pick, per ESPN analytics. Following Sunday’s action in which the Panthers lost again, the Bears now have a 95 percent chance to earn the No. 1 overall pick.

With the New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants all slotting behind them in the Williams-Maye sweepstakes, Fields has the opportunity to open the Bears up to a world of opportunity should he remove all doubt over the final month.

“Quarterback evaluation is incredibly difficult,” an AFC scout told NBC Sports Chicago. “Teams miss all the time for all sorts of reasons. Caleb and Drake are already getting dinged. Who knows if they’ll pan out? One guy is undersized and holds the ball too long. The other was inconsistent. You have a guy with special ability. If you can get him to play at a high-level week-in and week-out, then you’ll have teams who don’t have a Justin Fields calling you with the world to move up.”

If Fields makes the questions about his future evaporate with a near-perfect final month, Poles and the Bears will have a lot of different avenues to travel without having to focus on a quarterback.

They can trade down once or twice, pick up more draft capital, and still draft two blue-chip players to give Fields more support. Adding Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and potentially Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt or Georgia tight end Brock Bowers would complete the Bears’ transformation from offensive outhouse to dynamic attack.

That’s the dream scenario. As much as teams, scouts, and pundits have drooled over Williams for three years, the Bears’ preference should be for Fields to put it all together, delivering them quarterback certainty and a draft gift that can be rocket fuel for a rebuild that’s on the right track.

Don’t look now, but Fields is starting to do just that.

After going 19-for-33 for 223 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s win over the Lions, Fields has now completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 609 yards and two touchdowns since returning from injury. It is the first time in his career that he has gone three straight games without throwing an interception.

Fields has rushed 42 times for 221 yards and one touchdown in those three games. He has been sacked eight times and fumbled three times.

Per CBS Sports, Fields now has a higher passer rating than Trevor Lawrence (91.8), a higher touchdown-to-interception ratio than Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen (2.2), and is averaging more rushing yards per game than Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson (50.9).

Fields got off to a rough start Sunday. At halftime, he had just 52 net passing yards and had completed just four passes. But something clicked in the second half, and Fields showed high-level quarterback play when he got the Lions to jump offsides on a fourth-and-13 and used the free play to hit DJ Moore for a 38-yard touchdown that gave the Bears a lead they would not relinquish.

“To me, the poise has looked a lot better of late, especially when things break down. He’s not panicking. He seems to be putting it all together,” an NFC scout told NBC Sports Chicago.

There are still things for Fields to clean up. A hot streak doesn’t make him infallible. He was the first to admit Sunday that he still is holding onto the ball too long and inviting pressure. That also invites disaster for a quarterback who is still working on cleaning up his ball security. He also missed a few open throws, including what would have been a walk-in touchdown in the flat during the second half.

All that is true.

But Fields also threw with anticipation and trusted Moore and tight end Cole Kmet to make plays in tight coverage.

Early on this season, Fields wasn’t pulling the trigger on “NFL open” throws. He was waiting for receivers to be wide open and missed several big-play opportunities in the process.

The talent has never been an issue with Fields. He has a big arm and rare athleticism. The potential of blending those two together is what had him as the No. 2 quarterback in his class for three years until a weird draft slide that was brought on by dings not rooted in reality.

Young quarterbacks often need time and patience. Fields entered into the worst situation imaginable and has, to his credit, survived and started to thrive in spite of it.

It hasn’t been perfect. Quarterback development isn’t linear. Too often, teams give up on young quarterbacks early in the process when all that’s required is time and a plan to get them to harness their potential.

A month ago, it looked like Fields’ NFL career was destined to blossom outside of Chicago. But with the Bears about to lock up the No. 1 pick, Fields has started to become the quarterback who was promised.

He can open up a world of possibilities for Poles if that continues through the end of the season. There’s a sense the tide could be turning in Fields’ favor with the season winding down.

“When it’s right, it’s very right,” another league source told NBC Sports Chicago. “He’s starting to look like the guy many people had on equal footing with [Trevor Lawrence] in the draft. If that’s who he is going to be consistently, then you don’t really have a decision to make. You don’t trade proven for potential. But he has to prove it to pass up [Williams or Maye]. The question is: As good as he’s looked lately, is it too late to remove all doubt? He still has to do a lot to look past the ability to go younger, cheaper, and healthier with an elite talent at the position. But he’s got the talent to make it a more difficult decision than it looked like it was going to be month ago.”

With four games left, the wind has started blowing in a different direction as it pertains to Fields’ future.

It’s a breeze that could deliver Poles and the Bears everything they need heading into a transformational offseason.

The weekend ended with the Dallas Cowboys announcing themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders by dismantling the Philadelphia Eagles on “Sunday Night Football.” With four weeks to go, the 49ers, Eagles, and Cowboys all sit atop the NFC at 10-3.

Over in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens survived a scare against the Los Angeles Rams while Jake Browning continued to cook in Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes’ frustration boiled over in Kansas City as a critical offensive offsides call wiped a would-be game-winning touchdown off the board in the Chiefs’ 20-17 loss to the Bengals.

In Chicago, the Bears came off the bye and manhandled the division-leading Detroit Lions. With Justin Fields playing exceptional football and the defense humming, the Bears believe they can run the table and crash the playoff party.

For now, a rise in the power rankings will have to do.

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Here’s where each team stands after Week 14:

1. San Francisco 49ers (10-3): Brock Purdy averaged career highs of 10.5 air yards per pass and per completion in Sunday’s win over the Seahawks. Imagine if he could throw the ball downfield. The 49ers have been dismantling teams for over a month, and they still have another level to reach. Your Super Bowl favorite by a mile.
2. Dallas Cowboys (10-3): The Cowboys showed they could beat one of the league’s best by dominating the Eagles on Sunday Night Football. The Eagles are banged up, but this is a game past Cowboys teams would have lost. Dallas is for real.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-3): Philadelphia has been dominated in back-to-back weeks, and the Eagles’ cracks are starting to show at the worst possible time.
4. Baltimore Ravens (10-3): Tylan Wallace’s game-winning 76-yard punt return might wind up being what gets the Ravens the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Baltimore faces the Jaguars, 49ers, and Dolphins in the next three weeks, so they couldn’t afford to drop Sunday’s game against the Rams..
5. Kansas City Chiefs (8-5): The suddenly sliding Chiefs took two Ls on Sunday. The first came on the field to the Buffalo Bills. The second came during the postgame aftermath when head referee Carl Cheffers scorched the Chiefs for their postgame complaints over the offensive offsides call on Kadarius Toney. “Certainly, no warning is required, especially if they are lined up so far offsides where they’re actually blocking our view of the ball,” Cheffers said of Toney. Case closed.
6. Miami Dolphins (9-4): The Titans exposed some cracks in Miami’s armor on Monday night. Tyreek Hill covers up a lot but you’re only as good as your weakest point in the postseason. On Monday, Miami’s offensive line was a problem in pass pro and things got worse once Connor Williams left.
7. Buffalo Bills (7-6): Just like that, the Bills are right back in the thick of the playoff hunt. Buffalo still has a tough road ahead, but Sunday’s win was a must.
8. Cleveland Browns (8-5): On Sunday, Joe Flacco became the first Browns quarterback since Brian Sipe in 1980 to throw three touchdown passes over 30 yards in a game. The elite 38-year-old quarterback can still sling the pill.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5): The Jags sacked Flacco just once Sunday and allowed him to throw for 311 yards. The offense also looked out of sync with Christian Kirk sidelined. Jacksonville dodged a bullet with Trevor Lawrence’s ankle sprain, but there are problems to be solved in Duval.
10.  Detroit Lions (9-4): The Lions’ defense continues to leak all over the place. Detroit allowed Justin Fields to rush for 58 yards and throw for 223 as the Bears physically overpowered the Lions on the lakefront. Four weeks ago, the Lions were seen as a legitimate Super Bowl threat. No longer.
11. Houston Texans (7-6): The Texans’ feel-good story might be nearing its conclusion. Houston was already without rookie receiver Tank Dell, tight end Dalton Schultz, and offensive tackle Tytus Howard before losing Nico Collins to a hamstring injury in the first quarter Sunday. Quarterback C.J. Stroud also left the game with a head injury. Sometimes the injuries are too much to overcome.
12.  Denver Broncos (7-6): Earlier this season, the Broncos’ defense was in complete disarray, and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was on borrowed time. But Denver’s defense has turned it around, allowing just 12 touchdowns in their last eight games while recording 18 takeaways. At 7-6, the once much-maligned defense might carry Russell Wilson and Sean Payton to the playoffs.
13.  Cincinnati Bengals (7-6): The Bengals have scored 30 points with Jake Browning at quarterback in back-to-back games. Maybe Cincy isn’t dead after all.
14.  Los Angeles Rams (6-7): The Rams’ playoff chances took a hit with Sunday’s loss to the Ravens. But with only one game remaining against a team with a winning record, their destiny is still in front of them.
15. Green Bay Packers (6-7): Jordan Love is ascending but he and the Packers still have some kinks to work out after their Monday night loss to Tommy DeVito and the Giants.
16.  Indianapolis Colts (7-6): Indianapolis still has a manageable schedule ahead of it, with games against the Steelers, Falcons, Raiders, and Texans ahead. But the Colts’ alarming lack of pass-rush production against the Bengals on Sunday is reason for concern. It feels like it’s about time for Gardner Minshew and Shane Steichen to do us a favor and exit the playoff picture as soon as possible.
17.  Minnesota Vikings (7-6): So much for the offensive adjustments Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell promised would fit Joshua Dobbs’ strengths. Nick Mullens saved the Vikings on Sunday. That’s not a good sign for their playoff hopes.
18.  Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6): Mitchell Trubisky finally got the Bears a win by rolling over against the New England Patriots on Thursday night. Chicago might have the No. 1 pick locked up by Christmas at this rate.
19.  Seattle Seahawks (6-7): The Seahawks entered this gauntlet four-game stretch hoping to tread water by going 2-2. They have lost the first three, and it’s unclear if Geno Smith will be able to play next week. The clock is about to strike midnight on the Seahawks’ playoff chances.
20. Chicago Bears (5-8): It would have been impossible to imagine the Bears being in this position in early October. Give Matt Eberflus all the credit for keeping the group together and crafting a defense that the Bears feel is near elite. It has certainly been playing like it over the last few games. If the Bears can knock off the Browns next week, the playoff talk will start to carry weight.
21. Tampa Bay Bucs (6-7): We’re going to group the NFC South teams together. I’ve liked the Bucs the best all season. They have the best quarterback of the three and the best playmaker. Give me Baker down the stretch.
22. Atlanta Falcons (6-7): Good news for the Falcons: The Panthers are up next on the schedule. The bad news? Atlanta is capable of losing to anyone.
23. New Orleans Saints (6-7): OK, so maybe Derek Carr isn’t the savior the Saints thought he was. (We tried to tell you.)
24. New York Jets (5-8): Zach Wilson played with an edge Sunday and authored what might be the best game of his career. Wilson played free, especially when the Jets let him throw on early downs. Where the hell was this earlier in the season?
25. Los Angeles Chargers (5-8): There’s nowhere left for the Chargers to go but to write a blank check for Jim Harbaugh.
26. New York Giants (5-8): Tommy DeVito is the quarterback the Giants need in this moment. We have officially lost contain on DeVito-mania.
27. Tennessee Titans (5-8): I think this Will Levis thing might work out for the Titans.
28.  Las Vegas Raiders (5-8): Aidan O’Connell isn’t the long-term answer in Las Vegas. I don’t think Antonio Pierce is, either. Another blank slate coming for the Silver and Black.
29.  Washington Commanders (4-9): Perhaps the Commanders can use their bye week to find a way to get Terry McLaurin involved in the offense. Or the coaching staff can just have their agents leak that other teams are interested in hiring them after the season. It’s a race to get off the sinking rowboat in D.C.
30.  Arizona Cardinals (3-10): The Cardinals got a massive win on their bye week as the Patriots’ victory over the Steelers brought them back into a tie for the No. 2 overall pick.
31.  New England Patriots (3-10): Ezekiel Elliott looked like the Zeke of old on Thursday night in Pittsburgh. A refreshed Zeke should have some value on the free-agent market this offseason.
32. Carolina Panthers (1-12): Bryce Young has little chance to grow under this interim coaching staff. All he can hope to do is survive and not develop bad habits that tank his promising career.

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Eberflus, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko have worked with Fields to blend his elite athleticism and big arm with the necessary, high-level skills needed to play quarterback in the NFL.

There’s one thing both Eberflus and Getsy have pointed to that would be a clear sign that all Fields’ hard work is paying off. The Bears have wanted to see the slithery Fields navigate a messy pocket and escape it while keeping his eyes downfield. Last year, Fields would put his head down and run. The Bears don’t want to take that tool out of Fields’ arsenal, but they want him to evade pressure with a passer’s mentality, exhausting all downfield options before bolting.

In the Bears’ 28-13 win over the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field on Sunday, one play early on showed Eberflus and his staff that things are starting to click as they hoped.

Facing a third-and-8 from their own 11, Fields dropped back and was pressured from the right and up the middle. Fields dodged both rushers while keeping his eyes downfield as the blocks held. Once it became clear he was out of time, the Bears quarterback took off and punctuated his Houdini act with a 19-yard gain.

“The finish part of that helps him to be able to do that, to avoid the sack,” Eberflus said of the play Monday at Halas Hall. “He’s done a really good job of late of looking down the field to be able to deliver some passes down the field, which is cool. The next dimension is what you’re talking about — the ability to escape. He’s so strong, and he’s got strong lowers, and he’s got great balance, as I say a lot of time with DJ [Moore]. He has that as well. He has the ability to put it on guys for 19 yards or, as you saw last year, even more than that. We’re excited about where he is with that, in terms of the first phase of that, looking downfield to complete the passes, and the second phase — when it’s not there in situational ball, to make it happen.”

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Since returning from a dislocated right thumb in Week 11, Fields has been playing arguably his best all-around football as the Bears’ quarterback.

On Sunday, Fields went 19-for-33 for 223 yards and one touchdown while adding 58 yards and a score on the ground. Fields’ day was highlighted by a free-play touchdown pass to DJ Moore, on which Fields used his cadence to draw the defense offsides before throwing a 38-yard strike to Moore to give the Bears a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Fields’ future in Chicago remains up in the air, with four games left in the season.

But the growth the Bears believed would come is starting to show itself. If it continues to do so over the final month of the season, the Bears will have already answered their quarterback question.

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The Bears’ second-year safety has been a vocal critic of how NFL officials allow opposing defenses to hit quarterback Justin Fields late without penalty. The Bears have sent numerous examples to the league office, but Fields continues to get popped after the whistle.

It happened again on the first play of Sunday’s 28-13 win over the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Fields took off on a quarterback run and slid before being hit late by Lions linebacker Jack Campbell. There was no flag despite Fields and head coach Matt Eberflus’ protest.

Brisker has seen enough.

“If it was us, they would be throwing it. It wouldn’t even be a reaction,” Brisker said Monday at Halas Hall. “They would just throw it. I think they should just treat him fair. He’s a quarterback. I know he’s 230, and he’s running a 4.3. But it doesn’t really matter. He’s still a quarterback, and we have to protect him. It’s disappointing.

“Obviously, the other team is being told to do dirty stuff after the play — hit him like this, a certain way. It’s obviously being told just by the way they have been treating him these last couple weeks. A lot of shots to the head. It’s very disappointing seeing a guy like that take hits like that. One of those hits, god forbid, could be something very bad. I think the league needs to get on that and notice that it’s bad.”

Brisker noted that the Bears see teams on film trying to do little things to knock Fields out, and the league needs to take action.

“You can just tell, just from the other team,” Brisker said. “Coach Flus, he doesn’t tell us to do anything like that. You can just tell just the way they hit him after the play. They just try — you can just tell how they are trying to tug and how they are trying to do whatever they can to get him out the game. It’s obvious. It’s obvious. All them head shots. All of them late hits. Trying to mess with his hands and things like that. It’s obvious. The league just has to protect the quarterback and we’re going to protect ours at all times.”

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Eberflus noted Monday that he let the official Sunday hear it after Campbell wasn’t flagged for hitting Fields late on the opening offensive play. Eberflus said the Bears have a couple plays they are turning into the league as they hope to get Fields the same treatment that other star quarterbacks receive.

Fields has said he will keep asking the officials for the calls. Three weeks ago in Detroit, Fields was repeatedly hit either late or in the head, but no flags were thrown. Fields went to the officials to alert them to the late hits and other antics the Lions’ defenders were engaging in, but his pleas were disregarded.

“That’s just what the Lions do — they play hard,” Fields said after the loss to the Lions in Week 11. “We knew that coming in that week, the kind of effort and toughness and grit they play with. Their head coach preaches that. We kinda knew it was gonna be that type of game. I was talking to the ref and just asked, like telling him like, ‘Yo, just watch out. Heads up for a late hit’ or something like that. I guess I didn’t get any. Keep playing ball and control what I can control.”

Fields has only received five roughing the passer or unnecessary roughness calls in the past two seasons. All of them came last year, with two coming in the season-opener against the San Francisco 49ers.

For comparison, Josh Allen has gotten four roughing-the-passer calls this season to lead the NFL. Lions quarterback Jared Goff received six last season.

Fields has received just one roughing the passer call and four unnecessary roughness penalties in his last 24 starts. Once again, all of them came last year.

The Bears will keep pleading their case to the league, hoping Fields gets the same respect that other quarterbacks do around the league one day.

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The Bears outplayed the Lions three weeks ago in Detroit. They had a 12-point lead with four minutes to play and blew it. They entered the fourth quarter of last year’s home game against the Lions up 14. They lost that one as well.

The Bears jumped out to an early 10-0 lead Sunday before a failed fourth-and-1 pitch to DJ Moore swung the momentum back in the Lions’ favor. Detroit scored 13 unanswered to take a 13-10 lead into halftime.

In the past, the Bears would have been unable to regain the momentum, and things would have snowballed.

Sunday was different.

The Bears’ defense put the screws to the Lions’ offense, holding them to 76 yards in the second half while forcing three turnovers.

Quarterback Justin Fields and the Bears’ offense broke a 13-13 tie with a 38-yard, free-play touchdown strike to Moore, giving the Bears a 19-13 lead that they never relinquished. Fields added an 11-yard touchdown run later in the second half to put the Bears up 12. That was all she wrote.

Sunday was the first time the Bears have won back-to-back games in the Eberflus era. It was a win that highlighted continued defensive growth and a quarterback playing his best football since returning from a thumb injury.

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That’s where this statement-win report card leads off:

Passing offense

The passing game might as well have been going in reverse in the first half.

At halftime, Fields had 52 net passing yards, four completions, and had been sacked three times on 14 dropbacks.

But Fields found something in the second half. He made several anticipatory throws, including a critical third-down conversion to tight end Cole Kmet. Linebacker Alex Anzalone blanketed Kmet, but Fields threw it before the tight end got out of his break and put it where only Kmet could go up and get it.

Three plays later, Fields got defensive end Aidan Hutchinson to jump offsides on fourth-and-12. Center Lucas Patrick snapped the ball the minute Hutchinson came across, and Fields threw a dart to Moore down the left sideline for a 38-yard touchdown.

Fields finished the day 19-for-33 for 223 yards and one touchdown.

Despite a decent day at the office, Fields and Kmet noted the Bears’ offense could have put 40 on the Lions had they executed properly for the entire game.

Fields was critical of some of his misses after the win.

“The dagger to DJ, I’m still sick about that one late in the game,” Fields said. “I think, the third-and-short to Mooney could have been executed a little better. It was a great play call. Got exactly what we thought we would get.”

Fields also noted after the game that many of the hits and pressures Sunday were the product of him not getting to his checkdown fast enough or not throwing the ball away.

After not targeting Moore in the first half, the Bears targeted the star wide receiver 10 times in the second half. He caught six passes for 68 yards.

The Bears continue to struggle to get Darnell Mooney involved. He had just two catches for 44 yards.

Justin Fields GRADE: B
Team GRADE: B

Rushing offense

Fields entered the game having eclipsed 100 yards on the ground in each of his last three games against the Lions. The third-year quarterback picked up 28 on the ground on the opening drive but finished with just 58 after two kneeldowns to end the game.

A healthy D’Onta Foreman returned and picked up 50 yards on 11 carries. Khalil Herbert gained just 8 yards on three carries.

The Bears’ best running play came when offensive coordinator Luke Getsy split Fields out wide and had Moore take the direct snap. Fields faked as if he was going to take the handoff on a reverse, but Moore kept it and got the corner, sauntering 16 yards for the Bears’ first touchdown.

The Bears’ ground game wasn’t at its best Sunday, but it was effective enough to keep the Lions’ defense guessing, and the Moore wrinkle is enough to earn a decent mark.

GRADE: B-

Passing defense

Three weeks ago, the Bears’ defense picked off Lions quarterback Jared Goff three times and had the Lions in a corner with four minutes to go.

But Goff and the Lions’ potent offense engineered two quick touchdown drives to break the Bears’ hearts in Detroit.

There wasn’t a repeat Sunday.

Goff went 20-for-35 for 161 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on Sunday. The Bears held wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to three catches for 21 yards and gave up just two catches for 23 yards to tight end Sam LaPorta.

The Bears’ pass rush notched three sacks and nine quarterback hurries as they once again got the better of the Lions’ talented offensive line.

Detroit has one of the best offenses in the NFL, and the Bears’ pass defense completely shut them down outside of two drives.

No notes.

GRADE: A+

Run defense

The only offensive success Detroit found Sunday came on the ground.

The Lions rushed for 140 yards on 24 carries (5.8 yards per carry), with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs picking up six or more yards per tote.

Gibbs’ electric rushing helped the pendulum swing back in Detroit’s favor in the second quarter, but the Bears’ defense was able to hold them to just 37 yards on the ground in the second half.

It didn’t start out pretty, but the Bears made the necessary defensive adjustments to keep the Lions from winning the game on the ground.

The Bears entered the game with the NFL’s top-ranked run defense. This grade will look low, but it’s based on the bar they have set.

GRADE: C+

Coaching

Eberflus and his defensive staff came up with a great defensive game plan, and their halftime tweaks were flawless.

On the offensive side, Getsy gets a ding for the fourth-and-1 pitch to Moore. I liked Eberflus’ aggressiveness in going for it, but the play call left a lot to be desired.

Other than that, there’s little to nitpick from the first signature win of the Eberflus era.

GRADE: B+

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That difference was highlighted Sunday on the most critical play of the Bears’ 28-13 win over the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field.

With the game tied at 13 midway through the third quarter, the Bears lined up to go for a fourth-and-13 at the Lions’ 38-yard line.

“I don’t think so,” left tackle Braxton Jones said after the game when asked if the Bears were planning to run a play.

“No, it was supposed to be a freeze play,” wide receiver DJ Moore echoed.

Quarterback Justin Fields walked to the line and called out a protection change. Left guard Teven Jenkins started making protection calls. Tight end Cole Kmet looked over to wide receiver Darnell Mooney and made a check.

All fake. Improv.

“I thought the line did a good job selling the protection adjustment,” Kmet said. “I looked out to Mooney like we were going to switch routes or whatever, and they bought it.”

Sure enough, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson came across the line, and that’s where the preparation took over. Once Hutchinson crossed the line, center Lucas Patrick snapped the ball, and Moore beelined for the end zone.

“Fourth-and-13, hell of a cadence,” Kmet said. “I thought, no way in hell they are jumping. They jumped. I don’t know how you could jump in that situation, but they did.

“I was shocked.”

Moore beat his man off the line, and the safety that was over the top didn’t come over initially. The line gave Fields good protection, and the quarterback threw a rope to Moore for a 38-yard touchdown to give the Bears a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“They bit on it,” Jones said. “I mean, it was cool to see. Tev had great communication there, ‘Go to this guy. Go to that guy,’ calling different things. We just got them to jump and then just got DJ to do DJ. You know, ‘Go DJ.’”

“Based off what they do, you either win or you go win,” Moore said.

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Fields’ strike to Moore on the free play allowed the Bears to recapture the momentum they lost early in the game.

Chicago jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead, but a failed fourth-and-1 play in the second quarter swung things back in the Lions’ favor. Detroit ripped off 13 points in a row to take a 13-10 lead into the half.

The game ground to a halt in the third quarter, with neither team able to gain an edge.

Prior to Fields’ free-play dart to Moore, the Bears’ quarterback converted a critical third-and-3 with an anticipatory throw to Kmet on the left sideline. The Bears lost 2 yards on the next three plays and were prepared to take a delay and punt from Lions territory.

But their preparation — and a Lions mistake — presented the Bears with an opportunity they couldn’t waste.

“We practice that all the time. I think it kind of comes second nature now,” Kmet said. “In a walk through and one of our scout team guys accidentally jumps, we’re always going into that. It’s something we’ve practiced a lot that has just kind of become second nature. I thought [Fields] had a hell of a cadence on that play. It sounded really good but I’m still shocked that they jumped.”

“We practice that each and every week. It was great execution by everyone,” Fields added.

The touchdown pass to Moore gave the Bears a 19-13 lead after a blocked PAT, and the defense did the rest, holding the Lions’ offense to 267 total yards while pitching a second-half shutout.

“Us hitting that shot to DJ, that was a big momentum-shifter,” Eberflus said after the win.

Everyone from Jenkins to Patrick and Moore gets credit for the seamless free-play execution.

But it was high-level quarterbacking from Fields to see Hutchinson jump and execute a play that wasn’t supposed to be without flinching.

“DJ is hard to cover,” Eberflus said. “He’s hard to cover when you got a guy over the top of him or when it’s just one guy on him like that. Really good throw. Really good catch. Really good reaction.”

“It was a hell of a cadence and a hell of a throw to DJ,” Kmet said.

Fields said the key to the play was approaching everything, from cadence to protection calls, like a normal play.

Once Hutchinson came across, the rest was easy.

“When he jumped, I was like, ‘Shoot, I’m out,” Moore said. “I’m like, ‘meep meep.’”

Moore cruised into the end zone, delivering a right hook that staggered the Lions — one the NFC North leaders never recovered from.

The win marked the first time the Bears have won back-to-back games in the Eberflus era. At 5-8, the Bears believe they are firmly in the playoff picture.

But they had to win Sunday.

Preparation, execution, and a dime from Fields knocked the Lions out and gave the Bears a statement win they hope can be the springboard for more.

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They’ve just let them off the hook in the fourth quarter.

Three weeks ago, the Bears blew a 12-point fourth-quarter lead in Detroit. They were champing at the bit to get another shot at the Lions on Sunday at Soldier Field.

The Bears jumped on the Lions early but let them crawl back to take the lead heading into halftime.

But Sunday’s game was not going to be the latest in a line of Bears’ letdowns against the division-rival Lions.

Chicago’s defense bowed up in the second half, and quarterback Justin Fields struck with his arm and legs in the second half to lead the Bears to a 28-13 win that moved them to 5-8 on the season and was the first time they have won consecutive games under head coach Matt Eberflus.

Fields went 19-for-33 for 223 yards and one touchdown while also adding 58 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, the Bears’ defense suffocated a normally potent Lions offense, holding them to 267 total yards and forcing three turnovers.

The Bears were confident coming into the game. They were adamant not only that they were better than the Lions but that they could go on a late run to the playoffs. A statement win Sunday was the first step in that plan.

Fields and the defense made sure that box got checked. Now, they move on to Step 2.

Here’s what we learned in the Bears’ 28-13 win vs. the Lions:

Clean script

The Bears won the opening toss and elected to take the ball against a Lions defense that has been struggling mightily for over a month.

On third-and-3 from their own 38-yard line, Fields dropped back and felt pressure. The quarterback stepped up in the pocket and took off for a gain of 13.

Fields entered the game having rushed for over 100 yards in each of his last three games against the Lions. He ripped off 28 yards on the ground on the opening series before offensive coordinator Luke Getsy busted out a new wrinkle inside the red zone.

The Bears split Fields out wide and brought wide receiver DJ Moore in to take the snap. Moore took the snap and ran left. He faked a pitch back to Fields, hit the corner, and raced 16 yards untouched for an opening touchdown.

Momentum killer

The Bears dominated the first quarter-plus of Sunday’s game. They led 10-0 and had the chance to add to it after Jaylon Johnson picked off Jared Goff on fourth down.

Fields and the Bears’ offense moved the ball down to the Lions’ 40-yard line, where they faced a critical third-and-3. The Bears opted for a quarterback draw, but Fields was stopped after a gain of 2.

The Bears rolled the dice on fourth-and-1, but the play-call left a lot to be desired. The Bears lined Moore up in the backfield and opted to pitch it to him, but Lions cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu sniffed it out and popped Moore short of the line.

With the momentum pendulum starting to swing back their way, the Lions’ offense marched 61 yards on nine plays, with running back Jahmyr Gibbs capping off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run. A missed PAT made it 10-6 Bears midway through the second quarter.

The Bears’ offense needed to string a drive together before half to halt the Lions’ momentum. That didn’t happen.

The Bears went three-and-out, and the Lions’ offense closed the half with an 11-play, 53-yard touchdown drive to take a 13-10 lead at halftime.

Chicago flushed a brilliant quarter-plus of play down the drain in the final 7:04 of the half, and it all started with a failed fourth-and-1 pitch to Moore.

Free play magic

The Bears entered the second half down 13-10 but tied up early in the third quarter.

After the two teams exchanged a few punts, Fields and the Bears’ offense retook command.

On third-and-3 from the Lions’ 43, Fields dropped back and fired left toward a covered Cole Kmet. The Bears tight end climbed the ladder and made an impressive catch to move the chains.

The Bears went backward on the following three plays but lined up to go for it on fourth-and-12.

Fields got the Lions to jump offsides and then took advantage of the free play. Fields saw Moore had a step on his man and ripped a dot to the star receiver for a 38-yard touchdown.

The Lions blocked the Bears’ point after attempt, but Chicago’s defense quickly got the ball back when linebacker T.J. Edwards recovered a fumbled snap by Goff.

The Bears took over at the Lions’ 29-yard line, and Fields punched it into the end zone with an 11-yard run five plays later to give the Bears a 25-13 lead.

The ballad of Justin Fields

Sunday was the full Fields experience.

The third-year quarterback tormented the Lions with his legs early but could not get the passing game in a flow in the first half. At halftime, Fields had four completions and had been sacked three times on 13 dropbacks.

In the second half, Fields made several anticipatory throws to move the chains and struck on the free play to give the Bears the lead.

There was no better encapsulation of Fields’ ups and downs than on the Bears’ drive after the Goff fumble. Fields missed a wide-open touchdown throw in the flat, then turned around on the next play and raced 11 yards for a scoring strike.

With these final five games potentially setting the tone of the Bears’ offseason quarterback plan, Fields’ second half was a window into what is possible. If the Bears can get that to be the four-quarter norm — Getsy owns a big role in that — that will open up a multitude of options this offseason with Fields entrenched as the starting quarterback.

If they can’t, then tough decisions loom.

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With five games left in the season and the Bears in line to get a top-two pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, it’s unclear if Fields can do enough to convince general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus that he’s the long-term solution under center in Chicago.

While Fields plans to face the uncertainty with an admirable perspective that’s telling about the way the wind is blowing, wide receiver DJ Moore was clear about his stance on what Fields’ future in Chicago should be.

“I didn’t know that,” Moore said Thursday at Halas Hall when told of Fields’ stance on his future. “If he feels that way, then you really can’t do too much but go out there and be yourself, and he’s a dynamic player, dynamic quarterback. We want him here. I’ve been having a great year with him, so that should speak volumes. Just leave what they do upstairs, upstairs at the end of the day.”

Through 12 games, Moore has caught 70 passes for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. In the eight games that Fields has started, Moore has caught 50 passes for 792 yards and six touchdowns. If you extrapolate those numbers out for a 17-game season with a healthy Fields, Moore would be in line for 106 catches, 1,683 yards, and 13 touchdowns.

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Moore and Fields have worked tirelessly to build their chemistry since the elite wide receiver arrived in Chicago in March. Those long offseason hours working on grass and getting to know each other off the field have paid off.

“He’s great, top-down as a player,” Fields said of Moore on Wednesday. “Of course, everybody knows he’s a great player, he’s been over 1,000 yards for I don’t even know how long. Great players and even better person, even better teammate. Just the kind of guy he is. He came in, was kind of quiet a little bit – this and that – but he’s always been the same. Of course, the more you get to know him, the more you talk to him, he just opens up more and really just becomes an open book. I love him as a teammate, love his as a person and yeah, he’s just great to have on the team.”

Fields and Moore have been the perfect combo for most of the season. The Bears believed adding an elite wide receiver would help Fields break out as a passer. While the high-level consistency hasn’t been there, Fields has made strides during a critical third season.

“The big thing, from Year 1 and 2, he made big strides is what I’m hearing and what I’m seeing out there with his passes, his decision making,” Moore said of Fields. “Year 3 is probably the most critical year. I know it was for me. I took the jump. I had whatever you want to say, and it was like that. For him, he’s young, so he’s gonna still continue to grow and be better.”

Moore wants that to be with him in Chicago. But that’s out of his hands. With five games left, it might already be out of Fields’ as well.

The 24-year-old has shown flashes during a three-year stretch that would have chewed up most young quarterbacks and spit them out. He has had two head coaches and two offensive systems. He has had his mechanics altered. He’s played behind an offensive line that has been under construction and, until DJ Moore arrived, had limited weapons.

The Bears asked Fields to prove he was a franchise quarterback while swimming uphill during a rebuild.

Fields’ third season has had ups and downs. There was the slow start followed by eight touchdown passes in two games against the Broncos and Commanders. A dislocated thumb and a four-week absence followed. Fields returned in Week 11 and has played well since getting back on the grass.

As Fields’ season speeds toward a crescendo, the Bears quarterback is aware of the chatter surrounding his uncertain future at the helm of the franchise. The Bears currently are in line to own the No. 1 overall pick via the Carolina Panthers. With Caleb Williams and Drake Maye expected to declare for the draft, many expect the Bears to move on from Fields this offseason and reset the quarterback contract clock with a guy of Poles’ choosing.

Fields is facing that uncertainty with humility. It’s a perspective that’s rooted in his faith, shows his maturity, and might point to the end being near.

“I mean, life isn’t fair,” Fields said Wednesday at Halas Hall when asked if it’s fair for people to say his future is riding on the final five games. “So me personally, I’m just focused on what I can control, and the rest is in God’s hands.

“Wherever, if I’m here next year, if I’m not, football doesn’t define who I am as a person. My happiness will still be in the same place, will still be in God. And really, just football wise, life stuff in general, I think my faith in God, my hope in God, is just so much more than anything that can be thrown at me on this earth. Yeah, I mean, that’s why I don’t really stress over stuff like that, over stuff that I can’t control. I know that God’s got me, and I’m going to be good. I’m very blessed in the position I am in, and I think a million people would love to be in the position I am right now. So really just, I’m not taking that for granted and just taking each and every moment I have every day up here to the fullest.”

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This isn’t the first time Fields has signaled that his success in Chicago, or the NFL in general, won’t dictate his happiness.

After the Bears’ Week 3 loss in Kansas City, Fields said that falling into a 31-point hole wasn’t a death blow to what many assumed might be dwindling confidence in a critical season—zooming out allowed Fields to shield himself from the pressure of a potential make-or-break season.

“I’m looking at it like the big picture, life in general, to be honest with you,” Fields said after the loss in Kansas City. “I think this past week has had me kind of look at it like what are the important things in life? Because you know when things are going good, you feel me, not say whatever. I think these past couple of weeks have made me appreciate the little things in life, like being able to play this game. Every opportunity I get to go out there and play, I’m going to have fun. I’m going to play my hardest and, you know, just thank God for giving me the ability to play. So, no matter what the scoreboard is, I’m going to keep having the same mindset and just pushing to keep moving forward.”

Perhaps it’s unfair to judge Fields based on these final five games. If you take everything into account — from a lame-duck Matt Nagy season to a rebuild with no line and no weapons and the issues with the current offensive structure — what he has done in 35 career games is impressive.

We’ve seen Mac Jones devolve, Zach Wilson crumble, Trey Lance get shipped out of San Francisco, and Kenny Pickett flop.

Fields has had bad moments. There’s no doubt. He’s also risen above the dysfunction and relative organizational incompetence that has suffocated many quarterbacks.

Fields understands the business. He understands he might not do enough to be the starter next year. He might not be in Chicago at all.

That doesn’t have to mean the end of the world. That doesn’t have to be the end of his story. There will be another chapter. Chances are it’ll come in a better situation than he found himself trying to survive for the past three.

“Shoot, since I got to Chicago, y’all don’t hold back,” Fields said with a smile Wednesday. “Shoot, I hear it from y’all, I hear it from fans and stuff like that. I don’t take any of it personal because I know everybody’s entitled to their opinion on certain things and stuff like that. That’s one thing I try to do is not take anything personal, and just go about it that way.

“I’ve had moments in my life to where I’ve wanted things to happen that didn’t go that way and it ended up going another way and it worked out better than I ever could have imagined. That’s really why I just don’t stress about stuff that happens and just controlling what I control and like I said earlier just being the best person I can be and striving to be the best player I can be.”

Franchises swap out quarterbacks like shoes in the NFL. They bounce from signal-caller to signal-caller without second thought — searching, hoping, and praying that they find a difference-maker to deliver stability, respect, and wins for a decade plus.

Fields had everything needed to be that for the Bears. A blue-chip recruit who was billed as a generational prospect since the age of 17, Fields fell right into the Bears’ lap in the 2021 draft. Armed with a big arm, rare athleticism, a winning pedigree, and an unmatched work ethic, Fields was what the Bears had been searching for.

He still might be.

The Bears undoubtedly already have a good idea of who Fields is and what he might become. Or, better put, what they have allowed him to be and whether or not he can still reach a sky-high ceiling as their franchise quarterback.

Five games is unlikely to dwarf the Bears’ evaluation of the totality of Fields’ early tenure. They likely already have a preference, and how the draft chips fall will determine their course of action.

Fields is a talented quarterback with room to grow. He also has some bad habits he and the Bears’ staff are working to eliminate.

It’s easy to look at the potential of Williams or Maye and think of what might be. But patience and continuity are often the elixirs that deliver quarterback-needy franchises the signal-callers they crave. It served the Buffalo Bills well with Josh Allen. It has done wonders for the Green Bay Packers and Jordan Love.

Perhaps that’s what Fields needs. That’s undoubtedly what he deserved coming out of Ohio State.

What comes next might not be up to Fields. He’ll do what he can for the final five games and head into the offseason unsure of what the future holds.

Fields seems to understand the situation with five games left in the season. The inertia of organizational ineptitude is hard for one man to overcome.

The NFL pressure cooker has crumpled countless quarterbacks who have come before Fields. Whether real or perceived, Fields seems at peace with the path ahead, even if the destination is unknown.

He should be commended for his perspective. It’s healthy and will serve him well in Chicago or at his next stop.

It also might signal which way the wind is blowing as it pertains to the Bears’ quarterback future — one that might not involve Justin Fields.

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In a results-oriented business that often demands immediate success, it would be easy to let frustration creep in, especially when outsized expectations aren’t met and questions about job security arise.

But Eberflus has continually stayed where his feet are and looked at the bigger picture of what he and general manager Ryan Poles are trying to accomplish. Daily progress can sometimes be infinitesimal, but eventually, the larger results materialize if you stay the course.

“You have to have extreme patience during this time, and you got to see growth,” Eberflus said Wednesday at Halas Hall. “You have to see that in small increments at times. You have to learn from every performance, and I think that’s part of growing. We’ve continued to do that as we’ve put this football team together.”

Eberflus can say that, but he also understands that his 7-22 record isn’t good enough, especially given the Bears’ dreadful start to his second season. But that incremental growth Eberflus has seen daily at Halas Hall has started to show on the field, and the Bears enter Week 14 with the arrow pointing in the right direction.

“You want the wins, right? The wins, that’s the biggest frustration,” Eberflus said. “When are you going to get the wins? You keep doing things right, you keep doing things right, then all of a sudden, the wins will come. That’s what all of my mentors would tell me when I visited during this process. Just keep doing it right and really focus on the fundamentals and details of doing the job right. Hold guys to standards, don’t let that slip. That’s what we’ve tried to do. Again, I know it’s been slow, and I know the Chicago Bears fans– as we do– want more wins. You can certainly see that momentum starting to change, and we’re certainly optimistic for that.”

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While Eberflus’ defense has strung together eight weeks of mostly solid performances — Los Angeles and the fourth quarter in Detroit notwithstanding — the offense has continued to be clunky and inconsistent.

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s game plans have been hit and miss, and that’s the most generous interpretation. Quarterback Justin Fields has flashed, but the passing game has lacked the consistent explosiveness needed to win in today’s NFL.

This is the first time Eberflus has had responsibility for a team’s offense. That patience Eberflus preached in pushing through the stagnant times also extends to Getsy, Fields, and the offense.

But there’s a line that has to be walked. Patience is essential, but things must be fixed immediately when they aren’t working.

“I think that’s always there, the sense of urgency is always there,” Eberflus said when asked about exercising patience with the offense. “When the execution is there, you want to keep doing it. When it’s not, you want to have a sense of urgency. I said it the other day, it’s about being optimistic, being positive, but also being real. That’s not just with the players. That’s with the coaches too. What do we need to improve on? You have to make that improvement. That’s part of being a coordinator, that’s part of being a head coach, and that’s exactly what you do.”

Getsy took some heat for his screen-heavy game plan during the Bears’ 12-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12. Getsy believed the best way to combat Minnesota’s high-pressure defense was with quick passes to the perimeter. That worked initially, but the Vikings caught on, and the Bears’ offense sputtered in the second half.

On the Monday after the Minnesota win, Eberflus noted explosive plays to be had down the field against the Vikings. The Bears have to take advantage of those opportunities schematically, and Fields has to hit them when they are called.

“It’s about how do we generate explosive plays,” Eberflus said. “You score touchdowns by getting the explosives, right? We all know that.  

“But how do we do that in the running game? How do we create advantageous positions for the offense through motions, formationally, to create those advantages, those angles that we want to have so we can pop those runs? And in the passing game — we’re going to have to take more shots downfield to create those explosive plays. Those things are there. We just have to take advantage of it.”

Eberflus understands the pressure he and his staff face over the final five weeks. The progress has started to show, but a strong finish would go a long way toward ensuring they get another season.

But the potentially warming seat hasn’t forced his reservoir of patience to empty with Getsy, Fields, and the offense. There’s a belief that a breakout is coming. The adjustments will be made, and the explosive plays will start to arrive Sunday when the Bears open their critical finishing stretch against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field.

“I think they’re coming. I really do,” Eberflus said when asked about his patience with the offense. “I know Justin throws a really good deep ball, and he’s proven that we’re excited about our opportunity this week.”

If Getsy, Fields, and the offense continue to be erratic and struggle to create explosive plays, Eberflus’ patience will be put to the test, and the sense of urgency, with jobs potentially on the line, will be ratcheted up.

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While the 2023 Bears focus on being where their feet are, the outside focus has shifted to the 2024 NFL Draft and the potential ahead. Thanks to general manager Ryan Poles’ trade heist of the Carolina Panthers last March, the Bears can focus both on an unlikely postseason push and an offseason that could see them own the No. 1 pick again.

After Sunday’s Week 13 action, the Bears have a 72 percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick via Carolina. Currently, the Bears would own the No. 1 and No. 5 picks in the 2024 draft, giving them two top-tier assets to reshape the franchise.

The question from now until they go on the clock in April is: How will/should Poles utilize those picks? Should he draft a new quarterback in Caleb Williams or Drake Maye? Should he use the picks to add blue-chip talent around Justin Fields? Or should he trade one of the picks for more draft capital?

Poles will have plenty of paths to choose from this offseason, but what happens in the final five games will impact the route he travels.

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Four figures, three of whom reside in Halas Hall, will play a key role in determining how Poles attacks what is setting up to be a potentially “transformational” offseason:

Justin Fields

Fields and how he plays during the final five games will undoubtedly play a massive role in how Poles chooses to use the draft capital he finds in his war chest this offseason.

Last offseason, the Bears’ GM said he’d have to “be blown away” to move on from Fields and draft a different quarterback. The Bears eventually dealt the pick to Carolina, passing on the opportunity to draft C.J. Stroud, who is having an impressive rookie season in Houston.

Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus wanted to build around Fields, remove the excuses, and see if he could take a big step forward as a passer in 2023.

The season didn’t start as planned. The third-year quarterback struggled early on and admitted to playing “robotic.” Fields appeared to get back on track in Weeks 4 and 5 before dislocating his right thumb in Week 6.

Since returning in Week 11, Fields has played well in the two games since his return. He has shown some improvement with pocket presence and escaping with a passer’s mentality by keeping his eyes downfield after being flushed from the pocket.

Fields has been inconsistent as a passer this season. Some of that can be attributed to questionable play-calling and a constantly changing offensive line picture.

But a lot of the issues fall at Fields’ feet.

The Bears will look at the entirety of the Fields’ three seasons when evaluating him as a franchise quarterback option going forward.

The feeling in league circles is that the Bears will move on from Fields after the season if they have a top-two pick. Fields has shown flashes and has exceptional athleticism, but that’s just enough to get people fired for sticking with him too long and not enough to pass on either Williams or Maye, both of whom are viewed as elite NFL quarterback prospects.

Fields has five games to change the Bears’ mind.

Five games of consistent, high-level passing and playmaking could change the course of the Bears’ offseason plans.

It’s easy to be enticed by Williams or Maye. But quarterback evaluation is an inexact science. Having Fields remove doubt that he’s the long-term answer behind center would provide the Bears with a world of options when it comes to the draft. If the Bears don’t have to use their first pick on a quarterback, that should allow them to travel the safe road with wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

But if Fields can’t silence the doubts, then the Bears have to go with either Williams or Maye.

Braxton Jones

After Fields, Jones might be the player with the most riding on the final five games of the season.

Two blue-chip left tackles are slated to be in the 2024 NFL Draft class in Notre Dame’s Joe Alt and Penn State’s Olu Fashanu.

The Bears locked down the right tackle position in the last draft with the selection of Darnell Wright. They entered the season hoping Jones would solidify himself as their franchise left tackle, allowing them to check off an import box in their rebuilding project.

Jones worked all offseason on getting stronger against the bull rush, which was his biggest weakness during his rookie season.

That work showed up early in the season, but Jones struggled with mental mistakes and hand placement. Then came a neck injury that cost him six games.

Since returning to action in Week 9, Jones has allowed just 10 pressures in 140 pass-blocking snaps.

On the season, Jones has allowed just 14 pressures and one sack while being penalized seven times.

Jones will be part of the Bears’ plan going forward. He’s a talented tackle that the Bears believe has left-right versatility.

But if he can cement himself as the franchise left tackle, that could allow the Bears to focus elsewhere in the first round, be it edge rusher, wide receiver, or defensive tackle. If doubt remains about Jones after the season finale, the Bears will have a tough time passing on Alt or Fashanu in Round 1.

Matt Eberflus

The Bears’ head coach might be the biggest pivot point in the road ahead.

From the outside, Eberflus’ seat appeared to be warming early in the season. But I don’t think it was ever as hot as everyone believed, and it’s likely cooled, given the Bears’ improved play over the past eight weeks.

The Bears are 4-4 in their last eight games, and the defense has continued to improve under his direction as play-caller. The Bears’ defense now leads the NFL in run defense and ranks ninth in yards allowed per game. The Bears are two blown leads away from being 6-6 and right in the thick of the playoff race.

As dysfunctional as things have appeared at times, I don’t get the sense that those inside Halas Hall view things the same way the general public does. The Bears have already won more games than last year and should be in line to win at least two more games down the stretch.

If the Bears move on from Eberflus after the season, it likely means Fields is gone as well, and Poles is looking for a full reset with a new staff picking their own quarterback. (This is how functioning organizations do things, which might be foreign to the Bears.)

If that’s the case, the Bears’ draft path becomes clear.

But if the Bears continue to play well and Eberflus earns Year 3, there’s a good chance that Fields was a big reason why and might have done enough to allow the Bears to utilize their first-round draft picks by adding talent around him (Harrison, Alt, Fashanu, Brock Bowers, etc.)

The coaching situation at the season’s end will play a big role in how the Bears attack the draft.

Bryce Young

The final domino in the Bears’ draft puzzle is the guy they elected to pass on in 2023.

Young landed in the worst situation possible for a young quarterback. His weapons don’t separate, his line is beyond leaky, and his head coach was fired after 11 games.

The Panthers are an abject disaster and are hurtling toward a doomsday scenario where they hand the Bears the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Carolina is horrible. No doubt.

But you should never underestimate the mediocrity of the NFL.

The Panthers were close to knocking off the Tampa Bay Bucs on Sunday. They have games against the Saints, Falcons, and Buce remaining. All of those teams are capable of laying a stinker.

Can Young drag the Panthers to one or two more wins down the stretch to push Carolina out of the No. 1 spot? The New England Patriots have completely cratered and are projected to likely finish with a lower strength of schedule than Carolina. If the two teams finish with the same record, the Patriots would receive the better selection.

Getting the No. 2 pick would still be a massive win for Poles and the Bears, but it could also drastically alter how they approach the selection and their quarterback future.

While many might see Williams and Maye as worth a top-two pick, the Bears’ pre-draft evaluation could lead them to believe only one is worth the selection. If that signal-caller were to go No. 1, the Bears would have to go to Plan B.

The Panthers are dreadful, but Young has already beaten a good Texans team. Anything can happen in the NFL. If anything happens one more time for the Panthers, the Bears’ plans could be irrevocably altered.

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Week 13 of the NFL season was all about the showdown in Philadelphia.

Turns out, it wasn’t much of a showdown.

After being stuck in neutral in the first quarter, the 49ers hit the gas and dump trucked the Eagles 42-19. When fully healthy, the Niners are in a tier by themselves.

In Green Bay, Jordan Love continues to deal. Love completed 25-of-36 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns as the Packers knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs on “Sunday Night Football” to elevate their playoff chances to 65 percent.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions continue to have issues closing games, the Dolphins keep dismantling bad teams, the Texans’ other star rookie shined, and the Patriots are bringing losing to an art form.

Here’s where each team stands after Week 13:

1. San Francisco 49ers (9-3): The 49ers talked a lot of trash after their NFC title game loss to the Eagles, and then they rolled into Philadelphia on Sunday and delivered a back-alley beatdown to the defending conference champions. The rematch was no contest. The title favorites made a Super Bowl statement in the City of Brotherly Love.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2): The Eagles were due for a smacking, given how they’ve played over the last month. The 49ers are a bad matchup for them with their current crop of safeties and linebackers. They’ll likely see the Niners again, but I’m not sure the result will be any different.
3. Baltimore Ravens (9-3): The AFC is wide-open for Lamar Jackson to finally deliver come playoff time. The Ravens have what it takes to win the Super Bowl, but they’ll have to banish their postseason demons to do so.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4): The Chiefs have flaws that even Patrick Mahomes and Taylor Swift can’t wipe away. Kansas City still belongs in the “legitimate contender” tier, but the Chiefs are more vulnerable than they have been in years past.
5. Dallas Cowboys (9-3): In his last seven games, Dak Prescott has thrown for 2,173 yards, 21 touchdowns, and just two interceptions while completing 70.5 percent of his passes. With games against the Eagles, Bills, Dolphins, and Lions on deck, the Cowboys quarterback has the opportunity to vault himself to the top of the MVP conversation over the next four weeks.
6. Miami Dolphins (9-3): Brock Purdy tops my MVP ballot as of Dec. 3, but Tyreek Hill has a great case to be the first wide receiver in NFL history to win the award.
7. Detroit Lions (9-3): Detroit continues to be unable to put teams away. The Lions roared out to a 21-0 lead against the Saints on Sunday but allowed New Orleans to claw back to within one score in the second half. Aaron Glenn’s defense has some issues that need to be solved yesterday if they want to be a realistic threat in the playoffs.
8. Houston Texans (7-5): The Texans’ defense saved the day against the Broncos on Sunday. Rookie defensive end Will Anderson Jr. had two sacks and two tackles for loss, while second-year cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. picked off Russell Wilson twice. If DeMeco Ryans’ defense continues to ascend, the Texans are going to give someone hell on Wild Card Weekend.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4): It’s a good thing the NFL doesn’t have a playoff committee like college football or else Trevor Lawrence’s ankle injury would have removed them from postseason consideration. In all seriousness, if Lawrence’s injury is as severe as it looked, the season is over in Duval and these rankings will reflect a C.J. Beathard-led Jags team moving forward.
10. Buffalo Bills (6-6): Buffalo will exit its bye in 10^th place in the AFC but just one game out of the No. 7 seed in the loss column. The Bills face a tough schedule down the stretch with the Chiefs, Cowboys, Dolphins, and Chargers on top. Josh Allen will have to put on his Super-Man cape and not take it off to get Buffalo back to the dance.
11. Los Angeles Rams (6-6): The Rams’ win over the Browns got them to 6-6 and raised their chances of making the playoffs to 47 percent, according to ESPN. LA owns the tie-breaker over the Seahawks and will only face one team with a winning record the rest of the way. That comes next week against the Ravens. If Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams can stay healthy, the Rams should be right there at the end of the month.
12. Cleveland Browns (7-5): Joe Flacco played pretty well in his Cleveland debut. Whether Cleveland rolls with Flacco or turns back to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the Browns should be able to punch their postseason ticket thanks to games against the Bears, Jets, and Bengals to end the season.
13. Green Bay Packers (6-6): The Packers’ demise lasted all of six weeks. Jordan Love has been dealing for a month, looking like the franchise quarterback the Packers drafted to replace Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay stays blessed.
14. Indianapolis Colts (7-5): In their first game since Jonathan Taylor’s thumb injury, the Colts rushed for just 55 yards on Sunday against the Titans. Indianapolis needs to find a way to get the ground game going while Taylor is out to help make life easier on the erratic gunslinger Gardner Minshew.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5): The Steelers were pushed around by the Arizona Cardinals at home Sunday and lost quarterback Kenny Pickett and guard Isaac Seumalo in the process. Pickett was wearing a boot on the sideline, which likely signals Mitchell Trubisky will get the nod Thursday against the Patriots. Gross.
16. Denver Broncos (6-6): The Broncos’ five-game winning streak was buoyed by a plus-13 turnover differential. That went the other way Sunday as Russell Wilson threw three interceptions in a critical loss for Denver’s playoff hopes. The Broncos’ chances aren’t dead, but they’ll likely need some help down the stretch to make the postseason.
17. Seattle Seahawks (6-6): Seattle dropped out of the NFC playoff picture on Sunday and will face an uphill climb to get back in it. The Seahawks face the 49ers and Eagles in the next two weeks. Barring an upset, Seattle will be 6-8 with three games left and lose the tie-breaker to the Rams. Uphill, Pete Carroll trudges.
18. Minnesota Vikings (6-6): The Joshua Dobbs pixie dust ran out last week against the Bears, and now Kevin O’Connell faces a big decision at quarterback as the Vikings exit the bye week. Rookie Jaren Hall was the first name O’Connell mentioned after the loss to the Bears. Will Minnesota put its playoff hopes in the fifth-round pick’s hands?
19. Cincinnati Bengals (6-6): The Jets would go 12/5 if they had Jake Browning.
20. Atlanta Falcons (6-6): The Falcons are alone atop the NFC South after a win over the Tim Boyle/Trevor Siemian Frankenstein Jets. Atlanta put up fewer than 200 yards of offense on Sunday. Desmond Ridder and Co. have to find a way to be more consistent if they want to win the NFL’s worst division.
21. Los Angeles Chargers (5-7): Lost in the tornado of Brandon Staley discourse this season is that Kellen Moore turned into a pumpkin at offensive coordinator. The Bolts need to clean house this offseason after wasting Justin Herbert’s rookie contract.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7): Death, taxes, and Mike Evans record 1,000-yard seasons. The Bucs star made it 10 straight Sunday, tying him with Randy Moss for the second-most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in NFL history. Jerry Rice, of course, stands alone above them.
23. New Orleans Saints (5-7): Derek Carr once again left the game with a shoulder injury and to get checked for a concussion. Carr was booed by Saints fans early in the game. It’s time, Saints. Put the keys in Jameis Winston’s hands.
24. Las Vegas Raiders (5-7): Give Antonio Pierce credit for stabilizing the ship in Sin City. I don’t think it’s going to be enough to get him the full-time job, though. Mark Davis will go big fish hunting again.
25. Chicago Bears (4-8): The Bucs’ win over the Panthers and the Cardinals’ win over the Steelers bumped the Bears’ chances of getting the No. 1 overall pick via Carolina, over 70 percent. Bears stay hot on the bye week.
26. New York Jets (4-8): Aaron Rodgers’ “comeback” is all but over after the Jets’ loss to the Falcons. At least we can bury that storyline.
27. Arizona Cardinals (3-10): The Cardinals head into the bye week after a convincing win over the Steelers at The Big Mustard Bottle. At 3-10 and with the Panthers and Patriots in full tank mode, the Cardinals’ win Sunday might be what takes them out of the Caleb Williams-Drake Maye sweepstakes and keeps Kyler Murray in the desert for at least one more season.
28. New York Giants (4-8): After a so-so start to his NFL career, Tommy DeVito authored back-to-back good outings in wins over the Commanders and Patriots. His agent also told NFL Media that the undrafted rookie turned down significantly more money from Washington in order to play for the hometown Giants. Cult hero status is rising.
29. Tennessee Titans (4-8): The Titans lost four key players Sunday against the Colts and missed an extra point that would have given them the lead with 5:25 to play. They lost in overtime. Woof.  
30. Washington Commanders (4-9): Paddleboard Ron Rivera took over as defensive play-caller this week, and it didn’t change a thing. The Dolphins scored 24 points in the first half en route to a 45-15 win. The Commanders have now lost nine of their last 11 games. That’s about all she wrote for Rivera in D.C.
31. New England Patriots (2-10): The Patriots have now lost three straight games in which the opponent has scored 10 points or fewer. No team has done that since 1938. Drake Maye, come on down!
32. Carolina Panthers (1-11): The Panthers were officially eliminated from playoff contention Sunday. Carolina’s biggest problem is that it can’t fire or cut bait with the organization’s biggest issue: owner David Tepper.

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They are playing the best ball of the Matt Eberflus era, and there’s no way of knowing if head coach Matt Eberflus or quarterback Justin Fields will be in Chicago in 2024.

That could put some added pressure on a 4-8 team exiting a late-season bye. The Bears feel that their final five games are winnable and that an unlikely playoff berth could be in the cards if they run the table.

Whether or not that becomes reality, it’s no secret that how these final five weeks play out will play a significant role in determining the future of Fields, Eberflus, and the franchise’s direction. The veterans on the team are cognizant of that as they prepare for a home stretch that starts with Sunday’s visit from the Detroit Lions.

“That is the business we’re in,” linebacker T.J. Edwards said Monday at Halas Hall. “I think no matter what, it’s kind of always there. But at the end of the day, we’re here to win games and we’re here to be the best football players we can be. That’s something we have to do. That is our job. That is what we’re here for. I think our team is understanding that these are important games and we know that if we want to do what we’ve gotta do, we’ve gotta win ‘em. And we’re excited about that. We have the right people in here, the right leaders who understand that and to keep the main thing the main thing.”

Tight end Cole Kmet signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension this offseason. The Illinois native is one of the foundational pieces of general manager Ryan Poles’ rebuild. Kmet has offered both honest critiques and strong support for the direction the franchise is headed.

To Kmet, there’s optimism in the Bears’ recent play and how the staff and players overcame the early-season adversity and came through the other side. That has shown up over an eight-game stretch where the Bears went 4-4 but let games against the Lions and New Orleans Saints slip away.

“I think we have been making progress, and I think that’s been showing on tape,” Kmet said Monday. “When you kinda take the results aside — it’s a mix of both because it’s a results league — but if you’re being critical about your play, you just kinda look at the tape and look at the silence of the tape, and that’s kinda what you have to look at and go off of. You can see the progression that’s been going on, whether it’s been in our run scheme or pass pro, guys on routes. You’ve seen the steps there on tape.

“The results haven’t been always what we’ve wanted them to be. We’re optimistic that if we keep grinding away at this thing and keep going at it the way we have been, then the results will start to show up.”

Kmet has already been through a coaching change and a quarterback swap during his Bears tenure. He understands and has heard the noise that change could be coming this offseason if progress isn’t made, maintained, and built on in the right areas.

The best way to make that chatter dissipate is to win.

“I think it’s just taking it one game at a time. You take this thing one game at a time,” Kmet said. “If you focus on the things that matter, and I think that’s winning each and every week and making a push here for playoffs, that’s my mindset with it because there’s still an opportunity to do that, you just focus on the main thing. And then at the end of the season, you let the cards fall where they may. But we’re not worried about that stuff right now, and we’re just taking this thing one game at a time.”

CHICAGO BEARS

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Eberflus offered a similar answer when asked about his job security Monday, saying he’ll just “put his best foot forward” and believes that will deliver the desired results and keep the arrow pointing up entering a critical offseason.

With two top-five picks potentially waiting for them when the season ends, the Bears need to use these final five games as a fact-finding mission as it pertains to Eberlfus, Fields, and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

Should any return? Is it best if the slate is wiped clean? Or are continuity and patience the recipe for success that the Bears should follow?

After facing the Lions on Sunday, the Bears will travel to Cleveland to meet a Browns team leaking oil before returning home to face the lowly Arizona Cardinals and inconsistent Atlanta Falcons. Eberflus, Fields, and Co. will then finish the season on the road at Green Bay in a game that could have playoff implications for the Packers, and, perhaps, the Bears if they can author an unlikely run.

“Obviously I’m treating it like we’re in playoff mode now,” Kmet said. “I think five very winnable games here to end the season. Who knows what can happen at 9-8? I’m not looking too big picture — you take it one week at a time. Look, there’s a lot of flux at the bottom of the NFC here, especially for that seven, six spot. You never know what can happen. You gotta take it one week at a time and we’ll see where it goes.”

Where it goes over the final five games will likely determine where it heads in 2024 and beyond.

Teams that are 4-8 aren’t often playing consequential games in December. That’s not the case for the 2023 Bears.

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If you don’t deliver the desired results, they’ll find someone who will.

Eberflus’ second season as Bears’ head coach got off to the most disastrous start imaginable. The Bears lost their first four games, their defense was the worst in the NFL, and third-year quarterback Justin Fields appeared to be regressing. Throw in the mysterious resignation of defensive coordinator Alan Williams and the Chase Claypool failure, and Eberflus’ seat, at least from the outside looking in, was scalding hot early in October.

But things have taken a positive turn over the past two months. The Bears are 4-4 in their last eight games, the defense has made great strides under Eberflus’ direction, and Fields has shown signs of progress since returning from a dislocated thumb.

The Bears are trending in the right direction as the season hits the home stretch. But there are still whispers about a pending change at head coach. Jim Harbaugh has been mentioned as a potential replacement. Detriot Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is a popular name.

Eberflus isn’t oblivious to the importance of the Bears’ final five games to his future but isn’t outwardly buckling under the pressure. This is the life of a coach in the NFL.

“You know the season didn’t start the way everybody wanted, for sure,” Eberflus said Monday at Halas Hall. “But over the last eight weeks, we’ve put some good things out there. We’re certainly excited about doing that this week. Our focus is — as any time in the NFL — is where your feet are. We’ve got to be focused on this game and this game only to put your best foot forward out there, and that’s what we’re doing this week.”

On November 1, general manager Ryan Poles gave a strong statement in support of Eberflus as the then-2-6 Bears navigated a wave of adversity after the dismissal of running backs coach David Walker.

“What I see every day, where I see him address the team and I see his approach through adversity, it is stable, man,” Poles said. “And I know in the outside world, it doesn’t look like that. And I know it looks like we’re far away. But this dude comes in every day and just keeps chipping away. He has high integrity. The people that he brings in here, he’s done the work to make sure that they’re the people they’re supposed to be. Again, we hold that standard. If it doesn’t follow that and people aren’t acting that way, they’re not here.

“But the way he holds everything down here is incredible for how loud it is, how tough it is. I mean, this team, you watch them, they fight. I know this past weekend wasn’t great, but you can’t watch that team and be like, oh, they’re going to fold. Most teams fold, and they’re not folding. It’s been hard. It’s been really hard, especially from where we started last year, trying to build this and do it the right way. What I see from him on a daily basis and how he gets this team ready on a weekly basis, to me, I see a grown man that has leadership skills to get this thing out of the hole and into where it needs to be.”

CHICAGO BEARS

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On Monday, Eberflus was asked if he felt that his job was safe, given Poles’ public backing. The head coach reverted to his previous answer, understanding that if the arrow keeps pointing up for the final five games, he’ll likely avoid the axe.

“What you can focus on is leadership, and the first rule of leadership is leading yourself,” Eberflus said. “Come to work every day, put the plans together — offense, defense, special teams — lead the football team, help the leadership council, lead the football team as well, because true leadership comes from within. I think that’s really what you focus on, and that’s put your best foot forward every single day.”

Those in league circles are split on whether or not Eberflus will get a third season in Chicago. Many factors, including the Bears’ draft position and available replacement candidates, could play a role.

I don’t get the sense that Poles wants to fire Eberflus. I don’t think the 2022 record factors into the equation at all. If we’re being honest, the way a 2022 team, relatively devoid of talent, fought until the end is probably a feather in his cap.

The defensive improvement over the last two months also buoys Eberflus’ case to stay. The Bears now have the NFL’s best run defense and rank ninth in yards allowed.

If the Bears finish strong, there’s a good chance Eberflus returns for 2024.

For now, all he and the Bears can do is put their best foot forward.

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Spearheaded by right tackle Darnell Wright, the Bears entered the season believing they would get meaningful contributions from most of their rookies.

Wright, along with second-round cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, were penciled in as Day 1 starters, with defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and running back Roschon Johnson expected to contribute heavily in rotational roles.

With two-thirds of the season gone, the Bears have gotten impressive returns from some members of the class while others haven’t popped as expected.

CHICAGO BEARS

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Here’s the rookie report card as the 4-8 Bears enter December: (Editor’s note: These grades factor in preseason expectations, draft slot, etc., so players that more was expected of will be graded harsher. Linebacker Noah Sewell did not meet the snap requirements for the grading rubric.)

DARNELL WRIGHT, OT

Wright has been through a trial by fire during his rookie season.

The Tennessee right tackle has faced several of the best pass rushers in the NFL, including Maxx Crosby, Khalil Mack, Aidan Hutchinson, Danielle Hunter, Rashan Gary, Shaq Barrett, Chris Jones, Chase Young, and now teammate Montez Sweat.

Wright has held his own in those battles but also taken some lumps that will serve him well down the line.

“He’s going to take off, man. He’s going to keep getting better,” offensive line coach Chris Morgan said. “It’s because of the kind of kid he is. He likes to play and compete. He wants to win every rep.

“The more he plays, the better he’ll get.”

Per Pro Football Focus, Wright has given up 38 pressures and six sacks in 454 pass-blocking opportunities this season. That’s the most pressures allowed by any rookie tackle with at least 250 pass-blocking snaps. The six sacks are tied with Arizona Cardinals rookie Paris Johnson Jr. for the most among rookies.

Those 38 pressures allowed are tied for the fifth most among all tackles with at least 300 pass-blocking snaps. The six sacks allowed are tied for fourth most among all tackles.

But Wright has performed well given the quality of rusher he has faced on a weekly basis this season and has improved after a rocky start.

Wright allowed 20 pressures and three sacks in the first five games of the season. He has only allowed 12 pressures and three sacks in the last five.

He has also been a pretty good run-blocker, especially during a midseason stretch when Teven Jenkins was on his immediate left at right guard.

Wright hasn’t been perfect, but he has shown consistent improvement and held his own against several of the top rushers in the league. He’ll only get better.

GRADE: B+

TYRIQUE STEVENSON, CB

Stevenson is another talented rookie who has taken his lumps so far this season.

Rookie cornerbacks almost always face a steep learning curve when they enter the league. They have to adjust to the speed of the game and the way it’s officiated. They are also constantly targeted, especially when playing opposite a proven cover corner as Stevenson is with Jaylon Johnson.

Per PFF, the Miami product has been targeted 73 times in 11 games. That’s the fifth most among all cornerbacks. Stevenson has allowed 52 catches for 513 yards and seven touchdowns. Those rank third, 14th, and tied for first among corners with at least 275 coverage snaps.

The Bears expected Stevenson to have a lot of learning moments. But he has played his best ball of late, including a stellar game in Week 11 against the Detroit Lions in which he was only targeted once while notching an interception and forcing a fumble on special teams.

The Bears believe the light bulb is on.

“It’s been really good. It’s been solid,” head coach Matt Eberflus said of Stevenson’s growth. “You play corner in the NFL as a rookie, first of all, they’re going to highlight you and they’re going to come at you the first half of the season. They’re going to test your water and see what it’s like. And I think he’s responded. He’s had some battles. He’s lost some of those battles. He’s won a good portion of those. The biggest thing with him is you have to learn. You have to keep learning and put it in your file so you become a better pro.

“What’s really good about him is he plays one play at a time. He flushes the play and goes to the next one, good, bad, or indifferent. That’s what you have to be as a corner — you have to have a short memory and keep moving. Every single week, it’s a different set. Every single down, it’s a different set of people you’re covering. Everybody puts a different set of circumstances in front of you in terms of their skill level. He’s learned how to adapt his skill to the people he’s covering and what’s effective against that particular receiver.”

Stevenson’s grade takes a ding for the expected rookie corner moments, but there’s reason for optimism for his long-term prospects.

GRADE C+

GERVON DEXTER, DT

Dexter was always going to be a project for the Bears.

Chicago drafted the Florida defensive tackle in the second round with an eye toward the future. The Bears knew they needed to rework his stance and improve his get-off. The tools are there with Dexter but the Bears were careful to preach patience.

Dexter has shown some flashes during his rookie season, but he hasn’t been able to make a consistent impact as a pass rusher or run-stopper.

On the season, Dexter has just 17 pressures and has not recorded a sack, per PFF. Ten of those 17 pressures came in two games, with Dexter finding “his fastball” against the Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions.

The Florida product does have the second-best pass-rush win percentage among qualified rookie defensive tackles at 11.7 percent, per PFF. That number trails only Philadelphia Eagles rookie Jalen Carter.

Dexter is only averaging 24 snaps per game while rotating in behind Justin Jones and nose tackle Andrew Billings so there’s reason to believe more production will come with more snaps next season.

The Bears “graded the flashes” when they drafted Dexter. The flashes have been impressive, but they need to become the norm.

GRADE: C

ZACCH PICKENS, DT

The other half of the Bears’ defensive tackle draft haul, Pickens has played sparingly this season.

Through 12 games, he is averaging just under 15 snaps per game. He has notched just four pressures and one sack this season, per PFF.

Pickens has also been a subpar run defender.

The belief was that Pickens’ quick get-off would allow him to make a more immediate impact than Dexter.

That hasn’t happened, and it appears there’s a lot more work to be done.

GRADE: D

Roschon Johnson, RB

The Bears set the bar high for Johnson right out of the gate, with talk of him being a foundational pillar taking place minutes after they selected the Texas running back.

Johnson quickly overtook D’Onta Foreman in the running back pecking order but has yet to have a breakout performance.

Johnson has rushed 54 times for 232 yards and one touchdown on the season. He is averaging 4.30 yards per attempt on just over five carries per game. Johnson has also caught 24 passes for 131 yards and done a solid job in pass protection.

Johnson is a tough runner who will be a staple of the Bears backfield. The production will come with more opportunities.

GRADE: B+

Tyler Scott, WR

Scott’s role increased when the Bears jettisoned Chase Claypool in Week 5.

The speedy receiver has 10 catches for 81 yards on just 19 targets this season. Scott has only one drop but quarterback have a passer rating of just 41.8 when targeting him, per PFF. That probably says more about the Bears’ disjointed passing offense than it does Scott’s ability.

A former running back, Scott still is very early in his wide receiver education.

As such, there have been good moments and bad.

One week after making a critical catch on fourth down against the Carolina Panthers, Scott “misjudged” a deep pass from quarterback Justin Fields that would have sealed a win over the Lions. Detroit came back to win the game in the final minute.

Scott will get better with more reps. He’s a hard worker who wants to be great and has the full confidence of the locker room.

GRADE: C

Terell Smith, CB

The Bears and specifically head coach Matt Eberflus have gushed about Smith since he arrived for rookie minicamp.

Despite missing most of the offseason program with an injury, Smith entered training camp in a battle with Stevenson to be the No. 2 outside corner. Another injury allowed Stevenson to claim the spot, but Smith has gotten a decent amount of time this season both before and after a bout with mono.

In six games this season, Smith has played 228 snaps (157 coverage), per PFF.

On the season, Smith has given up 16 catches on 25 targets for 160 yards. Opposing quarterbacks have a rating of 82.1 when targeting him.

Smith has been sticky in coverage and a sure tackler in the run game.

He could very well wind up being a draft steal.

GRADE: B+

Tyson Bagent, QB

Bagent stole the show in the preseason and proved he belonged during a four-week stretch where he stepped in for an injured Fields.

The undrafted rookie out of Division II Shepherd completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 862 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions in those four-plus games.

Bagent operated the offense efficiently and went 2-2 as a starter. He played his best ball during the first three quarters in New Orleans before turning the ball over three times in the final stanza.

The turnovers obviously need to be cleaned up. That goes without saying.

But Bagent made quick decisions, was accurate, and showed tremendous poise.

At the very least, the Bears found a competent backup who they can trust to handle things should his number be called.

“We never put ceiling on players, but we certainly like where his floor is because the sky’s the limit for everybody,” Eberflus said of Bagent. “You never want to do that. Guys can grow into certain spaces that they didn’t even think they could. So, you have to give them that opportunity, but we certainly like where he is right now.”

GRADE: B+

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The Bears are understandably a team often mentioned as a possible landing spot for Harbaugh. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said Wednesday on FOX Sports that the Bears have had “conversations” about Harbaugh should they decide to fire head coach Matt Eberflus.

If the Bears move on from Eberflus, Harbaugh would make a lot of sense.

He is an elite coach and program builder. He went 44-19-1 during his four seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Harbaugh led the 49ers to two NFC West titles, three NFC Championship Game appearances, and one Super Bowl berth. The 49ers didn’t have a winning season in the eight years before Harbaugh arrived and went 7-25 in the two seasons after before starting a rebuild spearheaded by John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan.

Harbaugh knows what he is doing. He knows how to build a team and a culture. He wins everywhere he goes. His demeanor and personality should make him immune to the poison inside Halas Hall that seems to just about everyone who enters into the worst version of themselves.

I don’t think there’s a good argument to be made against the Bears hiring Harbaugh if they decide two years of Eberflus is enough.

But the Bears would need the answers to a few key questions to line up before anyone starts thinking about an introductory press conference at Halas Hall for Harbaugh.

First, they have to decide if Eberflus deserves a third season.

I’ve said for the past month that I don’t think Eberflus’ seat is as hot as the outside world wants it to be. General manager Ryan Poles’ statement of support last month didn’t sound like a typical word salad from a GM about to drop the axe. Poles’ backing of Eberflus sounded genuine and at least gave the impression that he believes he has the right guy in the building.

Eberflus has also done great work with the Bears’ defense this season.

After holding the Minnesota Vikings to 10 points and 242 total yards on Monday night, the Bears’ defense now ranks ninth in yards allowed per game and first in rushing yards allowed per game at 79.0. The Bears’ defense has forced seven turnovers in the past two games. Now fully healthy and with an elite edge rusher in Montez Sweat, Eberflus’ defense is showing that it works when all the right pieces are in place, and the right guy is pulling the strings.

I would also assume the Bears don’t judge Eberflus’ record the same way the outside world does. The 2022 season was always going to be a lost cause record-wise, but Eberflus got a young locker room to play hard throughout and buy into his culture and system.

Despite having a bad run of injury luck, the Bears are 3-3 in their last six games and are two fourth-quarter meltdowns away from being 6-6 on the season. The meltdowns should be attributed to coaching. At the end of the day, it falls on Eberflus’ ledger.

It has been far from perfect, but the Bears are showing progress under Eberflus this season.

At the moment, I feel like that will be enough to get him Year 3.

CHICAGO BEARS

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If the Bears choose to look for a new head coach, the next test to pass is the Kevin Warren exam.

The Bears’ new president and CEO will make the hire. While Harbaugh is a great coach, there’s a feeling in league circles that Warren and Harbaugh don’t exactly see eye-to-eye after the former’s time as Big Ten commissioner.

Only Warren and Harbaugh know if the headbutting between the two during the COVID-19 pandemic caused bad blood or if it’s just a case of Harbaugh grating people the wrong way, as he seems to do at every stop.

There’s obviously no chance Warren’s first head coach hire will be someone he doesn’t get along with and won’t want to work with on a daily basis.

That brings us to what I would say is the potential big hurdle in this hypothetical Harbaugh-to-the-Bears scenario.

Who has personnel control?

Harbaugh’s time in San Francisco ended after he continuously butted heads with general manager Trent Baalke over personnel decisions the coach disagreed with. Baalke eventually won the power struggle, and Harbaugh left after the 2014 season.

When Harbaugh’s brother-in-law Tom Crean was removed as head basketball coach at Indiana in 2017, Harbaugh peeled back the onion a bit on his time in San Francisco.

“Much like my situation in San Francisco, the people that are doing the micromanaging…when it comes to building a ball team, what they know could not blow up a small balloon,” Harbaugh said via Sports Illustrated’s Michael Rosenberg. “In my case, an owner and a general manager. In his case, an administration. They are so similar in that way. And he still wins two Big Ten championships outright.”

Given how his time in San Francisco ended, the feeling around the league is that Harbaugh likely will ask for personnel control when he returns to the NFL.

So where would that leave Poles, who owner George McCaskey gave the keys to less than two years ago? Are the Bears going to fire Poles? Will they try to arrange a marriage similar to the one the Las Vegas Raiders had with Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock, where Mayock was the general manager and oversaw the scouting and personnel departments, but Gruden had the final say on the moves?

Neither is an ideal situation for a franchise that is still very early in a rebuild.

The Bears agreed to give Poles time to see his vision through. The team has added talent, and the arrow appears to be pointing up. He’s a young GM and has made mistakes. None fatal to this point. Pulling the plug this early would only set the franchise back. Asking Poles to stay but be under Harbaugh when it comes to personnel decisions probably isn’t going to fly.

That’s a quandary. A solution exists, but it will be the hardest of these questions to answer in a way that sets the Bears up for long-term success.

I don’t think quarterback Justin Fields factors into the Harbaugh equation much, if at all. If Fields continues to play well enough down the stretch to earn another season as the starter, it likely means he saved Eberflus’ job in the process. If the Bears decide to move on from Fields, they should also clean house and bring in a staff to choose its quarterback and put everyone on the same timeline.

It’s hard to see a world in which Harbaugh is coaching a Bears team led by Fields in 2024. Maybe Harbaugh gets hired and thinks he can get Fields to turn the flashes into consistency. It’s possible but logical puzzle pieces just don’t fit seamlessly together.

Doesn’t mean it can’t happen. The Bears don’t exactly do things by the book, but it’s just the least likely of the scenarios, in my opinion.

The Harbaugh-Bears rumors will undoubtedly continue until one side squashes them. In all likelihood, it will be just noise in the end.

Harbaugh would be a great fit. But timing is everything, and the Bears would have to make multiple things align for the move to make sense this offseason. It’s doable if the Bears want to make it happen.

But with other franchises with bigger upside potentially willing to give him what he wants, Harbaugh’s NFL return likely will be somewhere other than Chicago.

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Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy relied on a screen-heavy approach to combat the Vikings’ constant defensive pressure. It had some success early on, but the Vikings adjusted, and the Bears’ offense stalled in the second half.

Two fourth-quarter fumbles by quarterback Justin Fields put the Bears in danger of dropping another game they controlled throughout. But the third-year quarterback engineered a game-winning drive to ensure the Bears left U.S. Bank Stadium with a 12-10 win in which they didn’t find the end zone.

Fields’ game-winning drive was a welcome sight for a Bears team that is steadily improving, but many questions remain about the franchise’s future direction as they enter the off-week.

Those questions start with the 2024 NFL Draft. The Bears are currently slated to own the No. 1 and No. 5 selections come April. But how the final five weeks unfold will play a significant role in how they attack another critical offseason.

That’s where we start this week’s mailbag:

We’ll begin without an overreaction and just try to game this out.

First, we’re assuming that the Bears stick with Fields and pass on Caleb Willams and Drake Maye.

I’d say that’s about 50/50 with five games to play.

But let’s say the Bears once again survey the QB class and decide Fields is better. If that’s the case, I agree Marvin Harrison Jr. is the obvious pick with one of the two first-rounders.

If the Bears own the No. 1 pick and aren’t taking a quarterback, they could trade down with a team looking for a QB and add future draft capital. But I wouldn’t move down past three if they want to make sure they get Harrison, who might be a top-10 receiver in the NFL the second he gets drafted.

The second first-round selection is where things get interesting.

That conversation will start at left tackle and the Bears’ evaluation of Braxton Jones.

Per Pro Football Focus, Jones has allowed just 14 pressures and one sack this season in 229 pass-blocking snaps. He has been whistled for seven penalties and missed six games with a neck injury.

Jones is improving and seems to be on track to securing his role as this rebuild’s starting left tackle.

If the Bears don’t feel that way and would rather Jones be their swing tackle, then Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt or Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu should be the selection. If the Bears are good with Jones and Darnell Wright as their bookends, then that second first-round pick can be used in a number of ways. The Bears could double down on offense and draft Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, who would be a terrific compliment to Cole Kmet. They could go edge rusher with UCLA’s Laiatu Latu or Florida State’s Jared Verse. Or, they could trade down here as well, add more capital, and then either get a lesser edge prospect (Chop Robinson, Jared Verse, Dallas Turner), a defensive tackle (Jer’Zhan Newton), or a versatile offensive lineman (Graham Barton, Troy Fautanu). That will depend on how far they move down and how they address the other holes on their roster in free agency.

Overreaction? Yes.

I understand the thought process of moving down a bit and getting a guy in Malik Nabers, who is an insane talent in his own right.

But I’m not passing on Marvin Harrison Jr. He’s that special of a wide receiver prospect. Right now, the Bucs are projected to have the No. 7 pick. Nabers’ stock is rising around the league, so I don’t even know that it’s a safe bet he’ll be available at that selection.

Adding draft capital looks good on paper. Vea is a terrific defensive tackle. But sometimes teams get too cute. Just take Harrison. It’s a pick the Bears won’t regret, no matter who the quarterback is in 2024 and beyond.

Overreaction? Not at all.

Fields is incredibly polarizing, and I see both sides of the argument.

He’s arguably the best runner in the NFL with the ball in his hands. The athleticism is exceptional. He throws a great deep ball, and there are flashes when everything clicks, and it’s easy to see him as the guy for the next 10 years if he can harness it. I loved Fields coming out of Ohio State and thought the 49ers should have drafted him at No. 3 when they moved up in the 2021 draft. (They whiffed on Trey Lance but found Brock Purdy. Kyle Shanahan lives a blessed life.)

Fields landed in arguably the worst situation for a young quarterback that needed some time to develop. He fought through the lame-duck Matt Nagy year and showed promise last season with zero talent around him.

But the consistent, high-level passing that the Bears want to see hasn’t been there to this point. Part of that falls on the scheme, sure. But Fields has to own his inconsistencies this season. I don’t blame you if you’re watching Fields and think he’s fine but doesn’t have it. The flashes have been incredible, but there have been too many moments in three seasons where he either doesn’t see an open receiver, doesn’t throw a guy open, holds onto the ball too long, or turns it over in the fourth quarter.

However, I think Fields — outside of three fourth-quarter fumbles — has looked pretty good since he returned from the thumb injury. He is escaping the pocket with a passer’s mentality, keeping his eyes downfield, and hitting open guys in space. The internal clock and pocket presence still need to improve, but he has shown progress in the past two games.

Does it continue in the final month of the season? It might determine how the Bears approach the 2024 draft if it does.

Overreaction? No.

I think two things can be true: The Bears seeing Fields deliver in the clutch was important, and it probably means little in the big picture.

I wrote as much after the game.

Fields was 1-for-17 since the start of 2022 in converting game-winning drive opportunities before that drive started. He also just fumbled on his first attempt minutes early. The Bears also wouldn’t have been in that position had Fields not fumbled the first time and let them go up 12-3.

That game-winning drive was probably overstated because of how many times Fields and the offense have failed in that scenario in the past two seasons.

The Vikings didn’t blitz for the first time all game and left DJ Moore wide-open on a deep in. Fields made the throw, so he deserves credit for that.

But it doesn’t need to be made into something bigger than it was.

Overreaction? No.

I’ve written a few times about the Bears’ inability to unlock Mooney, as Nagy’s offense did in 2021.

I think there are several reasons for that. They’ve asked too much of him, the passing game has titled toward DJ Moore, and the aerial attack has been inconsistent at best.

It’s possible that the 1,000-yard season Mooney had in 2021 winds up being just an outlier, and he turns out to be just a good No. 3 receiver.

Right now, Mooney is tied with Brandon Powell and Khalil Shakur in catches with 25 and is tied with Christian Watson with 351 yards. Watson has played four fewer games than Mooney.

Mooney is going to look for the best deal in the offseason. That’s his right, and he should do what’s best for him and his family long-term.

I think Mooney would be open to re-signing with the Bears, but it will come down to numbers. I don’t think the four-year, $40 million projected deal from this past offseason is still out there. Would Mooney and the Bears be open to a Kendrick Bourne-type three for $15 million deal? I think something like that could make sense for both sides.

We’re going to end here on what is a nine-step offseason plan with two opinions sprinkled in. Shoutout to @K3N7AR01 for going deeeeeeep.

Let’s breeze through each step.

1. New coaches: I don’t think Matt Eberflus’ seat is as hot as the outside world wants to believe it is. The Bears’ defense has been playing much better since he took over, and they have been banged up until about two weeks ago. I do think that if the Bears plan to draft a quarterback, they should wipe the staff, bring in a new one, and let them choose the quarterback so all parties are on the same timeline. All signs point to Jim Harbaugh wanting to return to the NFL, and I think that would be a home-run hire for the Bears, even if it wouldn’t be entirely seamless.
2. Keep Poles: I think it’s probably the right call. I don’t think Poles is in any danger of losing his job. The Bears agreed to let him have the keys and maintain patience in the process. I haven’t agreed with a lot of his moves, but he should get one more year before the seat warms.
3. The locker room does believe in Fields. Its most vocal veteran leaders are staunch Fields supporters. I don’t know if moving on from him would take morale. Players generally understand the business. But if they trade Fields and bring in a rookie who struggles, things could get tense. I believe it’s 50/50 on whether or not Fields is the starting QB in 2024. It’ll depend on the final five games and where the Bears’ draft picks land.
4. Yes, they should pay Jaylon Johnson.
5. I think it’s the end of the road for Cody Whitehair. I personally would keep Eddie Jackson. He’s respected in the locker room and has bought into this staff’s vision from Day 1, which has allowed him to re-elevate his game.
6. Agreed. Marvin Harrison Jr. has to be one of the picks.
7. Trading down looks good on paper. It’ll depend on if they take a QB with the first pick, what they do in free agency, and what players are on the board when the trade calls come in.
8. The Bears’ center position has been an abject disaster this season. I don’t expect Lucas Patrick to be back as the starter. Poles has to find a long-term solution in the middle of the line.
9. The Bears are going to take an L on Velus Jones. It’s just a matter of when they admit defeat. St. Brown is a good run blocker, but the Bears are going to have money to spend, and there are better depth receiver options out there.

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To better combat the onslaught of defenders brought by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the Bears went to the screen game early, often, and over and over again.

Per ESPN Stats and Info, Bear quarterback Justin Fields was pressured on 52 percent of his dropbacks in Chicago’s 12-10 comeback win at U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday night. The Bears ran 13 screens, and Fields finished with the lowest average air yards per attempt (2.4) and air yards per completion (1.9) in his career. Fields threw 21 passes at or behind the line of scrimmage and was averaging just 0.8 air yards per attempt at halftime.

While the screens were initially somewhat effective, the Vikings quickly caught on and adjusted the Bears’ game plan. But offensive coordinator Luke Getsy didn’t stray from his plan, and the Bears’ offense sputtered in the second half because of it.

On Tuesday, head coach Matt Eberflus addressed why the Bears felt they couldn’t attack the Vikings with slants and short passes over the middle.

“They pack the paint, so to speak,” Eberflus said Tuesday at Halas Hall. “Some of their coverages are three deep, and they’ve got two guys in the middle. So really, the open spots on a lot of those are the perimeter. And you certainly can hit some high-side pockets on those, which we did with DJ a couple times. Certainly, they give those things away. You’ve just got to do a real good job of spitting the ball out there and blocking well on the perimeter, which we did at times. You saw DJ get a couple nice runs there towards our bench. There were a couple times. But that’s really where you can take advantage of it.”

When asked if he was satisfied with an offensive game plan that produced minimal vertical attacks until the game-winning drive when the Vikings didn’t blitz, Eberflus admitted improvements are needed.

“You’re always wanting more chunks,” Eberflus said. “Explosive plays are where it’s at. I think we had eight explosives where we’re at in terms of goal-wise. We certainly, when you’re playing a team that pressures that way, and they’re vulnerable in the coverage, I believe that we should have more, and we’re always looking to get that. Certainly, we had some opportunities to hit some more of those, and we want to take advantage of those.”

CHICAGO BEARS

Montez Sweat Nov 28

Bears snap count: Montez Sweat's workload, impact rise in win vs. Vikings

Justin Fields Nov 28

Schrock: Justin Fields' GW drive could mean everything or nothing for Bears' future

Justin Fields Nov 28

Schrock's Bears Report Card: Grading Justin Fields, offense, defense in win vs. Vikings

Fields did have a few opportunities to attack downfield that he missed Monday night, with the most notable one coming early in the second quarter.

With the Bears facing a third-and-14 from their own 44-yard line, Fields dropped back and was immediately pressured and flushed out to the left. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney was wide open, coming across the field and working right to left. Fields kept his eyes downfield and had an easy chunk play if he ripped it to Mooney immediately. But instead, Fields waited and threw late and high, which allowed Vikings safety Josh Metellus to tag Mooney as he went up for the pass.

Eberflus’ explanation/critique of the offensive output Monday night in Minnesota appeared to be directed at both Getsy for his screen-heavy plan and Fields for not connecting on some of the deep shots that were available.

Fields did, however, connect on the two deep throws that mattered.

With the Bears trailing 10-9 with under three minutes to play, Fields finally came through with the game-winning drive his young resume had been lacking.

Fields opened the drive with a 16-yard pass to DJ Moore and finished it with a 36-yard strike to Moore on third-and-10 to get the Bears into field-goal range.

The Vikings didn’t blitz once on Fields’ five dropbacks on the Bears’ final drive. Fields went 2-for-2 on throws of 10 or more air yards and averaged 17.5 air yards per completion, per ESPN Stats and Info. Prior to that drive, Fields was 1-for-3 on throws of 10 or more air yards and was averaging 0.9 air yards per completion.

As is usually the case, there’s plenty of blame to go around for the Bears’ offensive struggles.

Getsy’s plan lacked creativity and ingenuity, and his inability to adapt in the second half almost sunk the Bears. But Fields must also continue to be more consistent in seeing and hitting those chunk plays the second they come open. That pass to Mooney was at least 26 yards the Bears left on the table, and it could have been more.

It’s all part of the growing process for a young quarterback and first-time NFL play-caller.

It’s clear Eberflus knows his offense still has a lot of kinks to work out, and he sent a message to both his quarterback and OC that things have to get better coming out of the bye.

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Sweat played 39 snaps in the thrilling win, which was good for 71 percent of the Bears’ defensive snaps.

General manager Ryan Poles told ESPN 1000 during the pregame that he and head coach Matt Eberflus had a conversation about playing their best players more in critical moments.

While Sweat’s snap count didn’t rise to the percentage normally seen by elite edge rushers, the star defensive end made his impact felt on those 39 snaps.

According to Pro Football Focus, Sweat notched seven pressures, 1.5 sacks, and had a win rate of 25.0 percent in the win over the Vikings.

Sweat’s solo sack came on a nicely designed pick stunt on which the Bears lined Yannick Ngakoue outside Sweat and had Ngakoue loop around.

Adding an elite edge rusher of Sweat’s caliber has allowed Eberflus and defensive line coach Travis Smith to implement some rush games they didn’t feel they could implement without a top-tier pass-rusher to impact the gravity of the opponent’s pass-blocking scheme.

“Travis Smith, that was his idea to put those guys on the same side and run that little pick stunt that we had,” Eberflus said Tuesday. “We ran it a couple times. We lined up in that same alignment, did a couple other things out of that, had a nice third or fourth down stop out of that same alignment with a different pressure. But yeah, you definitely need to do that. Any time you can get a mismatch and put him (Sweat) on a particular side, you’re doing that for a particular mismatch, or you’re creating an advantage for somebody else somewhere else. That’s the benefit of having a player like that.”

CHICAGO BEARS

Justin Fields Nov 28

Schrock: Justin Fields' GW drive could mean everything or nothing for Bears' future

Justin Fields Nov 28

Schrock's Bears Report Card: Grading Justin Fields, offense, defense in win vs. Vikings

Justin Fields Nov 27

What we learned about Justin Fields, Bears as QB plays hero in win vs. Vikings

DeMarcus Walker clocked in with the second most snaps among Bears edge rushers with 32. Ngakoue battled cramps during the game and only played 29 snaps.

On the offensive side, rookie running back Roschon Johnson out-snapped Khalil Herbert 52-15 in the win. Eberflus pointed to Johnson’s stellar week of practice as the reason why he got the lion’s share of the work over Herbert. The Bears will continue to prioritize the practice work and production when determining how the backfield rotation looks each week.

“Roschon did a nice job, for the most part,” Eberflus said. “There was a couple hiccups in there. The one sack that we did take with the edge pressure, he’s just got to be more inside and firm. He’ll learn that as he goes. He’s still a rookie, and he’s got a lot of situations that he hasn’t seen yet in real time and game situations. But he’s a heck of a worker, super smart, he’s a tough guy and he’s one of our better protectors, so he’ll continue to work on that.

“We’re always going to look at the practice, we’re always going to look at production, and it’s always going to be based upon that.”

Here’s the snap count from the win over the Vikings:

Quarterback: Justin Fields 70

Running backs: Roschon Johnson 52, Khalil Herbert 15, Khari Blasingame 6

Wide receivers: DJ Moore 65, Darnell Mooney 57, Equanimeous St. Brown 34, Tyler Scott 12, Trent Taylor 4, Velus Jones Jr. 1

Tight ends: Cole Kmet 62, Marcedes Lewis 24, Robert Tonyan 19

Offenisve line: Lucas Patrick 70, Braxton Jones 70, Darnell Wright 70, Nate Davis 70, Teven Jenkins 63, Cody Whitehair 7

Defensive line: Justin Jones 39, Montez Sweat 39, DeMarcus Walker 32, Yannick Ngakoue 29, Andrew Billings 28, Gervon Dexter 20, Rasheem Green 18, Zacch Pickens 11

Linerbackers: T.J. Edwards 55, Tremaine Edmunds 55, Jack Sanborn 13

Defensive backs: Eddie Jackson 55, Jaylon Johnson 55, Jaquan Brisker 54, Terell Smith 52, Kyler Gordon 42, Jaylon Jones 4, Josh Blackwell 2, Elijah Hicks 2

Special teams: Sanborn 15, Ja. Jones 14, Blackwell 14, DeMarquis Gates 14, Dylan Cole 14, Travis Homer 12, Hicks 11, Cairo Santos 10, Tonyan 10, V. Jones 9, Patrick Scales 8, Trenton Gill 8, Blasingame 7, Christian Matthew 7, Wright 5, Patrick 5, Kmet 5, Whitehair 5, Gordon 5, Dan Feeney 5, Ja’Tyre Carter 5, Edwards 4, Taylor 3, Davis 3, Brisker 3, Walker 3, Dexter 2, Green 2, Ju. Jones 2, Jenkins 2, Ro. Johnson 2, Ja. Johnson 1, Edmunds 1, Smith 1, Sweat 1, Billings 1, Pickens 1

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That wasn’t needed after the third-year quarterback delivered the first real game-winning drive of his young career. After he ripped a 36-yard dart to DJ Moore to set up a game-winning field goal and deliver tangible proof of what his teammates have long believed and voiced publicly throughout the ups and downs.

“It’s who he is,” safety Jaquan Brisker told NBC Sports Chicago after the win. “I’ve been telling y’all.”

“It was just awesome,” linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “Everyone on our sideline knew that when the time came that he was going to make a play.”

A postgame address of gratitude from Fields isn’t new. The young signal-caller has done this before, but the postgame address to the defense has come after a game the Bears lost. On most occasions, like last year’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, it comes after a game in which the defense didn’t exactly hold up its end of the bargain.

But on Monday, the Bears’ defense carried a heavy load. They picked off Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs four times, giving Fields and the offense a myriad of chances to put the game away.

They didn’t take advantage of those opportunities, turning those four turnovers into just three points.

In a game in which he was pressured on 52 percent of his dropbacks, Fields and the Bears’ offense attempted to rely on a screen-heavy approach to offset Minnesota’s constant pressure. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores adjusted early, and an ugly slog of a game broke out in the Twin Cities.

Fields had a chance to put the Bears up by two scores early in the fourth quarter but was stripped by Vikings linebacker Danielle Hunter. The Vikings recovered as the Bears’ offense watched another opportunity to put the game away slip through their fingers.

“First off, can’t fumble,” Fields said after the win. “Need better ball security on that. It’s crazy because Roschon [Johnson], he fumbled a play or two earlier. So, I’m telling him, ball security is the most important thing right now. Two plays later, I fumble.”

CHICAGO BEARS

Justin Fields Nov 28

Schrock's Bears Report Card: Grading Justin Fields, offense, defense in win vs. Vikings

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As is often the case in the NFL, if you leave the door cracked long enough, the other team will kick it down.

Dobbs promptly engineered a touchdown drive to put Minnesota up 10-9 with under six minutes to play.

That touchdown drive gave Fields an opportunity to show the Bears’ staff and front office something that is high atop their evaluation list over the final month of the season – that he can deliver in the clutch.

But disaster struck on third-and-10 as Fields bolted from the pocket and tried to pick up the first down with his legs. He was hit just as he was reaching the marker, and the ball once again squirted out. The Vikings jumped on it, and Fields walked to the sideline after another attempted game-winning drive went up in flames.

“The second one was a back-breaker,” Fields said.

But the Bears’ defense stood tall and forced a quick three-and-out to give Fields one final chance to deliver the goods.

Fields took over having converted just one of 17 attempted game-winning drives since the start of 2022. That lone one came in Week 3 of last season when linebacker Roquan Smith picked off Texans quarterback Davis Mills in Houston territory. Fields and the offense took a knee to set up a game-winning field goal.

“The Drive” it was not.

Despite his track record, faith in Fields never wavered on the Bears’ sideline. His teammates have remained steadfast in their trust in him. In who he is as a quarterback, who he can become, and what he’s made of.

“I’ve always believed in him,” left guard Teven Jenkins said. “You see him day in and day out being a hard worker.

“I trusted him on that drive to win the game for us.”

Fields opened the drive with a 16-yard completion to Moore and then used his legs to get the Bears into Vikings territory.

Then, after two incompletions, including one that could have been called intentional grounding, Fields faced a critical third-and-10 with 1:06 left.

One throw, one drive, one moment likely won’t be the wind that decides what direction Fields’ future in Chicago heads. But it’s not hyperbole to say that what happened next could be the catalyst for a franchise-changing, and perhaps career-altering, final five weeks.

Fields dropped back and saw the Vikings defenders drop out and get depth. The play call was one he and Moore have been repping since the receiver arrived in Chicago.

As the Vikings defenders bailed out, Moore saw wide-open turf in the middle of the field with no one around.

“Everybody bailed out there and left me wide open,” Moore said after the win. “I didn’t think that was very smart.

“Maybe like 10 yards into the route, I was like, ‘something ain’t right about this.'” Moore said. “Then I was like, ‘shoot, there’s nobody in the middle. This deep in is going to be in the middle.’ We connected on it, and the rest is history.”

It might end up being a pivotal moment in said history.

Fields stepped up in the pocket and threw a strike to Moore for 36 yards down to the Vikings’ 13-yard line.

After three kneels, Cairo Santos trotted onto the field and calmly drilled a game-winning 30-yard field goal.

Game-winning throw. Game-winning drive. Redemption. Check, check, check.

“He’s relentless, honestly,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson, one of the most vocal supporters of Fields, said after the win. “I feel like it feels a little better considering what he did after the two turnovers. That’s disheartening, especially for him being at the level he can play at. Coming back, honestly, and making that big throw, I think it was bigger than just the game-winning drive. His resilience. Being able to stick to it and deliver the ball where he needed to.”

“He’s a super determined person,” cornerback Kyler Gordon added. “He’s a hard-worker, good leader, and he keeps his head down. He’s grinding. Good for him.”

Since his return, Fields has been adamant he’s not trying to make anything more out of these final games. He’s not looking at them as the potential performances on which his Chicago future hinges.

But it was clear that being able to wipe away those two fumbles, to atone for those football sins, and play hero in a way he hasn’t so far in his career carried extra importance for the 24-year-old quarterback, especially after he failed to do so last week in the meltdown loss to the Lions.

“I really just wanted to prove to my teammates that I had their back,” Fields said of the game-winning drive. “The way the defense was playing all game, I had to come back and at least give us a chance at the end. Those two fumbles, adversity is hitting. I was sick to my stomach; I’m not going to lie to you. … At the end of the day, when you do have that opportunity at the end of the game, everything before that is out the window. That’s all you have. All I know is that we needed a field goal, and those two fumbles that I had, it was over with.

“I got better from last week. Learned from last week and was able to finish it.”

It might end up meaning nothing in the long term. It might end up meaning everything. The answer probably lies somewhere in the gray.

The Bears have the bye week and five more games to determine if Fields’ throw to Moore in Minnesota will cause a ripple effect that alters their rebuild plans or is a meaningless blip in general manager Ryan Poles’ big-picture assessment of the team’s quarterback future.

But when Fields unleashed a 36-yard dot to a wide-open Moore on Monday in Minnesota, he finally offered concrete proof that he could do what his teammates have long trumpeted.

He delivered when all the chips were on the line and might have started to change the course of the Bears’ rebuild plans in the process.

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But in the end, quarterback Justin Fields did just enough to back up a dominant performance from the Bears’ defense and deliver a 12-10 win.

Fields and the Bears tried to combat the Vikings’ blitz-heavy attack with a giant dose of screens and horizontal passes. That game plan led to three hours of offensive football that wasn’t aesthetically pleasing.

But there are no style points in the NFL.

A win is a win, and this was a victory that head coach Matt Eberflus and the Bears desperately needed as they head into their bye week.

The report card reflects one unit that aced its primetime test and one that did just enough to pass with some last-minute extra credit:

Passing offense

Fields was blitzed on 52 percent of his dropbacks Monday night, per ESPN Stats and Info. The Bears countered that with 13 screen passes, which caused Fields to finish with 2.4 air yards per attempt and 1.9 air yards per completion. Both marks are the lowest of his career.

Fields threw 21 passes at or behind the line of scrimmage on Monday night. That’s the most in the NFL since 2020, according to ESPN.

But on the Bears’ final drive, the Vikings didn’t blitz Fields, and he completed two passes of 10 or more air yards on the drive, including a 36-yard strike to DJ Moore that set up the game-winning field goal.

“Everybody bailed out there and left me wide open,” Moore said after the Bears’ win. “I don’t think that was very smart.

“Maybe like 10 yards into the route, I was like, ‘something ain’t right about this.'” Moore said. “Then I was like, ‘shoot, there’s nobody in the middle. This deep in is going to be in the middle.’ We connected on it, and the rest is history.”

The Bears’ pass attack was an eyesore for much of the night, but Fields and Moore delivered when everything was on the line.

Fields entered that drive having gone 1-for-17 on potential game-winning drives since the start of 2022. That lone one came in Week 3 last season when Roquan Smith picked off Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills in Texans territory, and the Bears kneeled down before kicking a field goal.

This was a bonafide game-winning drive from Fields, which earned the aerial attack passing marks after a relatively putrid performance.

Fields GRADE: C+ (game-winning drive boost)
Team GRADE: D

Rushing offense

The Bears’ ground attack found little success in Minnesota.

With D’Onta Foreman out with an ankle injury, it felt like a game in which Khalil Herbert would get the bulk of the carries. Instead, the Bears turned to rookie Roschon Johnson, who rushed 10 times for 35 yards. Herbert rushed just six times for 24 yards.

Fields was the team’s leading rusher with 59 yards on 12 carries.

As a team, the Bears averaged 4.2 yards per carry. That number was just good enough to keep the Vikings’ defense honest.

The Bears’ offensive line was mauled most of the night by the Vikings’ front. It was a little better in the run game than in pass protection, but it was a subpar night overall by the front five.

Chicago could have tried to lean on its run game to beat the Vikings’ pressure, but instead, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy went to the horizontal passing game for most of the night.

Johnson ground out tough yards, and Herbert did well in limited time.

But overall, it was a lackluster night for the ground attack.

GRADE: C

Pass defense

The Bears’ nearly fully healthy defense made life hell for Dobbs and the Vikings’ offense on Monday.

The Bears picked off Dobbs four times and sacked him twice while notching nine hurries.

“We getting the chemistry going,” safety Eddie Jackson said of the Bears’ dominant defensive performance.

“This is what it was [in training camp]. We just had to get everybody healthy, get everybody out here, and I feel like we knocking the dust off a little bit. The finish part is the most important part. We just got to continue to close guys out.”

The Bears’ defense came up big time and time again Monday night.

After Fields fumbled with 3:36 remaining, the Bears’ defense needed to force a quick three-and-out to give Fields one more chance to lead a game-winning drive.

The Vikings ran it twice and then threw a quick pass to Brandon Powell behind the line of scrimmage. Linebacker T.J. Edwards quickly identified the play and rallied to make the tackle to force a punt, giving Fields the opportunity to win the game.

“I think it’s belief, man,” Edwards said of the Bears’ defensive resurgence. “We understand that we have to go out there, and we have to get turnovers, we have to spark the game early.

“Guys are just resilient. There was no panic on any of those sudden changes or anything like that. We got to find a way to go out there and get a stop and we got the guys to do it.”

CHICAGO BEARS

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The Bears held Dobbs to 185 yards passing and one touchdown while picking him off four times.

Montez Sweat recorded 1.5 sacks, while DeMarcus Walker notched three hurries. Justin Jones forced one of the interceptions when he quickly collapsed the pocket and forced Dobbs to get rid of it over the middle. The pass was deflected and ultimately picked off by Kyler Gordon.

It was a dominating performance from a unit that has been telling us it had this in them from Day 1.

GRADE: A

Run defense

The Vikings are a pretty one-dimensional offense, so they didn’t attack the Bears on the ground often Monday.

Alexander Mattison rushed 10 times for 52 yards and got loose for a couple of solid runs in the second half. The important thing was that the Bears kept Dobbs from breaking contain and beating them with his legs. The Bears held Dobbs to just 11 yards on two rushes on the night.

The Bears got good interior push from Gervon Dexter, Jones, and Andrew Billings on the night. Edwards and fellow linebacker Tremaine Edmunds did a great job flowing downhill and being sure tacklers. The linebacking duo combined for 11 solo tackles.

It was another stout performance from a run defense that has been the Bears’ best unit in 2022.

GRADE: A

Coaching

The offensive game plan was a complete disaster for much of Monday night.

I understand the thought process of trying to beat the blitz with screens, but 13 was way too many for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy to call. The Vikings quickly caught onto the short passing game and stymied the Bears’ offense for much of the final three quarters.

The offense lacked creativity and ingenuity. Had the Vikings blitzed Fields on the final drive, this could have quickly turned into a “walk the plank” postmortem for Getsy.

On the defensive side, head coach Matt Eberflus did a great job mixing up his simulated pressures. On Montez Sweat’s first sack, the Bears lined up Yannick Ngakoue outside of Sweat and had Edmunds up close like he was coming on the blitz. The Bears dropped Edmunds out and had Ngakoue loop around Sweat, which helped allow the star edge rusher to get home for his first sack.

It was another good defensive game plan from Eberflus, who has shown that, for all his faults, he does know defense.

EBERFLUS GRADE: A-
GETSY GRADE: D

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After Jaylon Johnson picked off Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs early in the second quarter, Gordon took off trying to block for his fellow cornerback on the return. Gordon drove receiver Brandon Powell out of bounds, and Powell ripped the facemask off his helmet in return.

Gordon was initially flagged for taking off his helmet, but officials reversed the call to taunting as Gordon was showing them that his helmet was in two pieces.

“Jaylon got a pick, and I was just trying to block for my guy,” Gordon said after the win. “I drove him to the benches and just kind of got into it, you know. Obviously, it’s not cool getting drove back. He didn’t want to fall backward, so he pulled on my facemask because he didn’t want to fall on his ass. It is what it is, it’s football.

“It’s hard to taunt when you’re pulling someone’s face down. It is what it is. I’m not even tripping, to be honest. They are going to see it.”

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said he didn’t get an explanation for the call.

Gordon’s teammates were baffled by their teammate getting flagged when his helmet was ripped apart.

“How is that a flag?” safety Eddie Jackson said. “Wow. I mean, ya’ll know referees is untouchable around here. They untouchable man.”

“Man …. I don’t know,” safety Jaquan Brisker added. “He can’t control that. They always look at things. They could have looked at that and took it back. They called two calls. They said he took his helmet off. Then, second, they said taunting. It’s like, ‘what is that?'”

CHICAGO BEARS

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Gordon and the Bears’ defense got the last laugh Monday in Minnesota.

The Bears’ defense picked off Dobbs four times, including interceptions by Gordon and Brisker.

The second-year safety made sure to do a little light taunting of his own after the interception, hitting the Vikings crowd with its patented “SKOL” clap after the turnover.

“I had to show something for the fans, you know,” Brisker said, laughing. “Vikings fans. Had to.

“That was my plan coming into the game. I was going to do that. I like to make people mad so let me SKOL clap for them.”

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The Bears’ defense dominated Joshua Dobbs and the Vikings’ offense, notching four interceptions and two sacks.

But Justin Fields and the Bears’ offense turned those four interceptions into just three points and clung to a slim 9-3 lead in the fourth quarter.

A frantic fourth quarter saw the Vikings take a 10-9 lead, giving Fields two opportunities to play hero.

Fields fumbled on the first game-winning drive attempt, but the defense forced a quick three-and-out to give him one more chance.

Fields started the drive 1-for-17 on game-winning drives since the start of 2022. But he delivered in the Twin Cities, marching the Bears on a 10-play, 66-yard drive to set up Cairo Santos’ game-winning field goal.

That drive came complete with a 36-yard dot to DJ Moore on third-and-10 that serves as Fields’ first signature game-winning moment.

Here’s what we learned in the Bears’ 12-10 win over the Vikings.

What they want to see

Fields owned the first quarter in Minnesota. The third-year quarterback made a handful of plays that should show the Bears the type of progress as a passer they want to see over these final six games.

On the Bears’ opening drive, Fields was pressured on third-and-2 but somehow wiggled away from Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter. Fields rolled out of the pocket but kept his eyes downfield and hit running back Roschon Johnson for 6. On the next play. The Vikings once again pressured Fields, but the quarterback escaped to the right and found Khalil Herbert for a gain of 13.

The Bears have been wanting to see Fields keep a passer’s mentality when he escapes instead of just tucking and running. He did that early in Minnesota. However, as good as he was in this area, he wasn’t perfect. On a third-and-14 in the second quarter, Fields escaped to the left and had Darnell Mooney open down the field. But Fields’ pulled the trigger late, and Mooney was unable to haul it in.

Fields also showed impressive pocket patience on a key fourth down in the first quarter. Facing a fourth-and-10, Fields hung in the pocket against heavy pressure from Minnesota. Instead of looking to escape, Fields hung in just long enough to have tight end Cole Kmet come open over the middle. Fields delivered a strike with the pressure bearing down, and Kmet raced for 24 yards for a first down.

These are the plays the Bears want to see Fields consistently make to show them he’s making the necessary strides as a passer.

Missed opportunities

The Bears dominated the first half in Minnesota but were unable to get out of their own.

After taking a 3-0 lead, cornerback Jaylon Johnson picked off Joshua Dobbs and returned it to the Minnesota 37-yard line. However, Kyler Gordon’s helmet broke during the play and the refs elected to penalize him for “taunting” while celebrating the interception.

That moved the ball back to the Chicago 48-yard line. The Bears promptly went three-and-out on a drive that included two penalties,

The Bears’ defense responded by getting the ball back, courtesy of a Jaquan Brisker interception at the Chicago 36. But after an 11-yard completion to DJ Moore on first down, the Bears went three-and-out on the next set of downs and punted again.

Following their two first-half interceptions, the Bears notched just one first down and punted twice.

With two minutes left in the half, the Bears had outgained the Vikings 158-24 but only led 3-0.

The Vikings closed the first half with a seven-play, 64-yard drive that resulted in a field goal to tie the game at three at halftime.

Screen happy

The Bears struggled with the Vikings’ pressure the first time the two teams met in Week 6. In an effort to combat Minnesota’s constant pressure, Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy turned to the screen game … over and over and over again.

At halftime, Fields had an average air yards per attempt of just 0.8. In the Bears’ first four drives, Fields completed eight passes behind the line of scrimmage.

The Vikings quickly caught on to the Bears’ screen-happy attack and snuffed it out in the second and third quarter.

On their first drive of the third quarter, Fields marched the Bears down to the Vikings’ 21-yard line. But Getsy dialed up back-to-back screens on second and third down, and the Bears were forced to settle for a field goal to take a 6-3 lead.

Getsy showed little innovation as a play-caller. The Bears threw too many screens and didn’t combat the VIkings’ pressure with their power run game. It wasn’t just that the Bears tried to lean heavily on screens, but there were often no options for Fields to go down the field if the screen wasn’t viable. It was a broken game plan that caused the Bears’ offense to stall throughout the night.

The Dam Breaks

The Bears played with fire all night by not turning the Vikings’ turnovers into points.

Eventually, it burned them.

After Kyler Gordon picked off Dobbs for the Bears’ fourth turnover, it looked like Fields and the offense would put an early nail in the Vikings’ coffin.

The opposite happened.

On second-and-10 from the Vikings’ 22, Hunter sacked Fields and poked the ball loose. Defensive tackle Sheldon Day jumped on the loose ball to give the Vikings life.

The Bears’ defense held all night, but it was going to be too much to ask them to pitch a near-perfect game.

Dobbs promptly marched the Vikings on an eight-play, 77-yard drive that he punctuated with a 17-yard touchdown strike to T.J. Hockenson, giving the Vikings a 10-9 lead.

Fields delivers

With the Vikings leading 10-9, Fields took the field with 5:54 left and a chance to engineer a game-winning drive.

As has been the case over the past two seasons, when the Bears’ offense had a chance to mount a game-winning drive — disaster struck.

On third-and-10 from their own 36, Fields scanned the field, but no one was open. The quarterback tried to take off and get the first down himself but was hit by Josh Metellus and coughed the ball up. It was Fields’ 35th fumble in 35 games.

But just when it looked like a re-run of past game-winning drive attempts, Fields flipped the script.

After the Bears’ defense got him the ball back with 2:29 remaining, Fields delivered in a way he hasn’t early in his NFL career.

Fields opened the drive with a 16-yard strike to Moore and then used his legs to get into Vikings territory.

Then, on third-and-10 from the Vikings’ 49 with 1:06 remaining, Fields hung in the pocket and threw a 36-yard strike to Moore down to the Vikings’ 13-yard line.

That strike set the Bears up for a game-winning 30-yard field goal from Cairo Santos.

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The Bears planned to go with a relatively even split between Herbert and D’Onta Foreman, with rookie Roschon Johnson getting a handful of carries to spell the two veterans. But Foreman re-injured his ankle early in Detroit, leading to Herbert getting the bulk of the carries.

That should again be the case Monday in Minnesota after the Bears ruled Foreman OUT for the primetime tilt with the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.

With Herbert having a week to get his feet back under him, the Bears expect the third-year back to have a little more juice Monday against the Vikings.

“I think it’s always fair to say, especially for a runner,” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said of Herbert. “Same thing as we talked about with Justin, when you’re out for so long, just getting your feet back underneath you – you can kind of saw that in that he got better as the game went on. We anticipate him coming out and having a great day.”

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The Bears will also be without backup offensive tackle Larry Borom and rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Stevenson, who is coming off the best game of his young career, tweaked his ankle during Friday’s practice and was ruled OUT on Saturday.

Fellow rookie Terell Smith is expected to start opposite Jaylon Johnson in Stevenson’s place.

After two games of being a healthy scratch, wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. is active for Monday night’s game.

The Vikings, meanwhile, will be without star wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Jefferson has been on injured reserve since Week 6 with a hamstring injury. The Vikings initially ruled Jefferson as questionable but decided to hold him out past their Week 13 bye to make sure his hamstring is fully healed.

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The Philadelphia Eagles showed the heart of a (future?) champion in a gutty overtime win against the Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys both put together resounding wins over inferior opponents on Thanksgiving.

In Las Vegas, the Kansas City Chiefs bounced back from their Week 11 loss by continuing their ownership of the Raiders. In Los Angeles, the Baltimore Ravens put together an impressive performance against Justin Herbert and a Chargers team that is out of answers.

On the other end of the spectrum, the New England Patriots put together a “give us a top-two pick” masterpiece with an inexplicable loss to the New York Giants. In Tennessee, the Bears got a much-needed win as the Panthers once again looked inept in a loss to the Tennessee Titans.

On Monday night, the Bears’ defense dominated the Minnesota Vikings and Justin Fields delivered a game-winning drive to give Matt Eberflus his first NFC North win as Bears head coach.

Here’s where each team stands after Week 12:

1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-1): The Birds just know how to win. But their top-ranked run defense gave up over 150 yards on the ground to the Bills. That has to get cleaned up before next week’s tilt with the No. 2 ranked team in these rankings.
2.  San Francisco 49ers (8-3): The Niners’ pass rush has found its teeth over the past three games, notching 15 sacks, including six against the Seahawks on Thanksgiving. It’s a matter of when, not if, the Niners once again wear the NFC West crown.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (8-3): Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice broke out Sunday, catching eight passes for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders. That kind of production needs to continue for the Chiefs to have a chance of defending their crown.
4.  Baltimore Ravens (9-3): Baltimore’s defense gave Justin Herbert fits, and Lamar Jackson and Co. continue to show they have an explosive side that makes them perhaps the only real threat to the Chiefs in the AFC.
5.  Dallas Cowboys (8-3): The Cowboys’ next five games will tell us if this Dallas team is different than the ones in years past. The Cowboys have lost their two games against teams with winning records and hammered everyone else. Their next five games are against the Seahawks, Eagles, Dolphins, Bills, and Lions.
6. Miami Dolphins (8-3): The Dolphins’ defense will have to find a way to survive without their co-leader in sacks, Jaelan Phillips, who suffered an Achilles injury on Friday in New York. The Phillips-Bradley Chubb combo had found its groove over the past month, and now Andrew van Ginkel and Emmanuel Ogbah will have to fill the void left by Phillips.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-3): Trevor Lawrence got his groove back. The Jags QB has had a quarterback rating of 90 or better in seven of his last eight games and gave Jacksonville a two-game lead in the AFC South with Sunday’s win over the Texans. The run game needs to pick up the slack, but Lawrence is playing his best ball as the calendar turns to December.
8.  Detroit Lions (8-3): The Lions might be in trouble. One week after throwing three interceptions against the Bears, Jared Goff turned it over three times Thursday in a loss to the Packers. The Lions QB was pressured on 45% of his dropbacks in the first half as Green Bay jumped out to a massive lead. Two weeks after being dubbed legitimate Super Bowl contenders, the Lions are now staring at the fraud tag if they can’t find a quick remedy for their issues.
9.  Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4): In their first game since firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada, the Steelers put up their first 400-yard game in almost three years. Sometimes the answer is staring you right in the face.
10. Buffalo Bills (6-6): It was a loss, but the Bills’ performance against the Eagles was a sign that the real Josh Allen might be back. In two games since the Bills fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, Allen has looked more comfortable than during his early-season woes. But at 6-6, is it too late for the Bills?
11.  Houston Texans (6-5): The Texans lost ground in the AFC South on Sunday but can still make a wild-card push in the crowded AFC. Rookie cornerback Derek Stingley notched an interception in his second straight game. The young Texans have all the pieces in place to be a tough out come January, but they have to get there first.
12.  Cleveland Browns (7-4): Dorian Thompson-Robinson was playing well against the Broncos until he was forced to exit with a head injury. Myles Garrett also sustained a shoulder injury and left the stadium wearing a sling. It might be too much for the Browns to overcome at this point.
13. Denver Broncos (6-5): After giving up 70 points to the Dolphins, the Broncos’ defense has given up just 80 points total during its current five-game winning streak. Denver has gone from riding to the dump to legitimate playoff contention in a month. Tip your cap to Sean Payton.
14.  Indianapolis Colts (6-5): The Colts have bounced back from a three-game losing streak and now have a real shot at making the playoffs in the log-jammed AFC. Indianapolis has the easiest remaining schedule in the NFL, but the third-down offense has to be better than it was Sunday (2-for-11) to capitalize on that opportunity.
15.  Los Angeles Rams (5-6): Running back Kyren Williams returned and rushed for 143 yards on 16 carries while also catching six passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns. LA’s offense looked different with Williams back, and the Rams are now just one game out of the playoff race after dismantling the Cardinals.
16.  Seattle Seahawks (6-5): The Seahawks are 6-5, but they might be cooked. Seattle’s next three games are against the Cowboys, 49ers, and Eagles. After just getting bulldozed by the Niners, it’s not unrealistic to think the Seahawks will be 6-8 entering the final week of December.
17. Minnesota Vikings (6-6): I think the Josh Dobbs magic has officially run out.
18.  Atlanta Falcons (5-6): If you get the ball to Bijan Robinson, good things happen. It’s not rocket science.
19.  Green Bay Packers (5-6): The Packers have been patient with Jordan Love, and it’s paying off. Green Bay is still a game under .500, but the Packers only have two games left against teams with a winning record, and Love has looked the part over the past three games. They might have done it again.
20.  New Orleans Saints (5-6): Just play Jameis.
21.  Las Vegas Raiders (5-7): Antonio Pierce, Josh McDaniels, Rich Bisaccia, Jon Gruden, Jack Del Rio – it doesn’t matter who the Raiders’ coach is, the Chiefs own the Silver and Black. Have for more than a decade now.
22.  Los Angeles Chargers (4-7): It’s over for Brandon Staley in L.A. We’re just playing out the string at this point.
23.  Cincinnati Bengals (5-6): This will always be a “what could have been?” season for Cincy.
24. Chicago Bears (4-8): Justin Fields finally delivered a game-winning drive, and Chicago’s defense is playing like the best unit in the NFL over the past two weeks. Can a suddenly dominant defense lead the Bears on a late playoff push in a down NFC?
25.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7): The Bucs aren’t dead but their NFC South chances are on life support after another dispiriting loss to a team they had a realistic chance to beat.
26.  New York Jets (4-7): If the Jets let Aaron Rodgers come back and he gets hurt again, everyone should be fired on the spot. This season is over. Focus on 2024 and what might be Rodgers’ last ride.
27. Tennessee Titans (4-7): The Titans are now 4-0 at home after beating the Panthers. With four of their final six games in Nashville, Mike Vrabel’s club might be able to scrap together a respectable season.
28. New York Giants (4-8): Tommy DeVito has officially cost the Giants a shot at a top-two pick. So, this season could, in fact, get worse for Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen.
29. Washington Commanders (4-8): Jack Del Rio was ejected from the Commanders’ coaching staff after Washington was torched by Dak Prescott on Thanksgiving. It’s an understandable move, but it’s too little, too late for paddle boat Ron and the Commanders.
30. Arizona Cardinals (2-10): The Cardinals just have to avoid accidentally winning a game down the stretch to ensure themselves a top-three pick and potential franchise-changing player.
31. New England Patriots (2-9): Are we sure Bill Belichick isn’t tanking?
32. Carolina Panthers (1-10): Frank Reich’s seat is scolding hot. Owner David Tepper would write a blank check to make it hotter if he could.

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It’s impossible.

The Bears outplayed the NFC North-leading Lions for 54 minutes. They pushed them around and were on the verge of the first signature win of the Matt Eberlfus era. That everything unraveled in six minutes showed the warts of this rebuild and should lead to some difficult conversations about its direction.

The Bears are past the point of moral victories. They need to win games in which they outplay their opponent. There are no more excuses for a lack of execution in critical moments.

But as demoralizing as the Motown Meltdown was, it can be a force for good as the Bears project forward.

The loss in Detroit was a breakout game for rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. It provided critical learning moments for two other building block rookies that the Bears believe are foundational pieces of this rebuild.

It has been a trial-by-fire season for Stevenson. That’s often the case with rookie corners. Kyler Gordon went through it last season in Chicago. Jaylon Johnson remembers taking his lumps in 2020.

Stevenson entered Sunday’s game having given up 52 catches on 72 targets. But the Miami product didn’t allow a catch in 35 coverage snaps against the Lions and picked off the only pass sent his way.

While the stats might not show it, the Bears have seen Stevenson take the hard lessons of the NFL cauldron and quickly apply them to his game to become a better pro. It’s a big part of why they believe the rookie has the potential to be an elite shutdown corner.

“It’s been really good. It’s been solid,” head coach Matt Eberflus said of Stevenson’s growth. “You play corner in the NFL as a rookie, first of all, they’re going to highlight you and they’re going to come at you the first half of the season. They’re going to test your water and see what it’s like. And I think he’s responded. He’s had some battles. He’s lost some of those battles. He’s won a good portion of those. The biggest thing with him is you have to learn. You have to keep learning and put it in your file so you become a better pro.

“What’s really good about him is he plays one play at a time. He flushes the play and goes to the next one, good, bad, or indifferent. That’s what you have to be as a corner — you have to have a short memory and keep moving. Every single week, it’s a different set. Every single down, it’s a different set of people you’re covering. Everybody puts a different set of circumstances in front of you in terms of their skill level. He’s learned how to adapt his skill to the people he’s covering and what’s effective against that particular receiver.”

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While Stevenson had a marquee day for his growth in Detroit, two other rookies were given critical lessons in crunch time.

First-round right tackle Darnell Wright played an excellent 58 minutes against Lions star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. But on the first play of the Bears’ attempted game-winning drive, Hutchinson beat Wright off the ball and stripped quarterback Justin Fields. Wright kicked the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

“It’s frustrating,” offensive line coach Chris Morgan said of Wright’s day ending on that play. “There’s 70 plays, 100 plays, 60 plays, and they all count. He did a really good job, but they all count. He’s excited. He’s going to learn from it. He’s such a competitor. It’s been a really cool rookie season for him because he’s played some of the best pass rushers in the league over and over and over.

“He’s going to take off, man. He’s going to keep getting better. It’s because of the kind of kid he is. He likes to play and compete. He wants to win every rep. Like everything else, he has to learn from it.”

Minutes before Wright got beat by Hutchinson, rookie wide receiver Tyler Scott had a chance to ice the game but “misjudged” a beautifully thrown deep ball from Fields, and the pass fell incomplete.

Scott is still very early in his wide receiver development. A former high school running back, Scott has a lot to learn and fine-tune to reach his astronomically high ceiling in the NFL. He has elite speed, plus the work ethic and desire to be great.

An error like the one Scott made in Detroit can either break him or harden his resolve. It can be a teaching moment that serves as a launching pad to success.

That’s the hope and belief inside Halas Hall. Scott has spent the week staying later after practice to work on his deep-ball tracking with wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert.

“The more he plays, the better he gets,” Tolbert said. “Tyler, the same guy that misjudged that ball, is the same guy who, in the last game we won, caught a crucial fourth down between two defenders. He just got racked and caught the ball, made the fourth down conversion. It’s the same guy.

“I’ve always said, you can learn by mistake at somebody else’s expense,” Tolbert said later. “You don’t have to go through that to learn. I hope he doesn’t have to go through it again to learn. But because he did go through it, yes, he will learn from it.”

The Bears won’t be able to judge the resolve of Wright and Scott until they take the field Monday night in Minnesota against the Vikings. But there’s unshakable confidence that both rookies will respond to their trials and tribulations in the same way Stevenson has all season.

By elevating their games and proving they have the unbreakable resolve the Bears need in two key building blocks.

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Center Lucas Patrick left the loss to the Lions with a back injury but was a full participant on Friday and Saturday. He will start Monday in Minnesota against the Vikings.

The Bears might be without running back D’Onta Foreman. The veteran running back left the loss to the Lions with an ankle injury. He was limited all week and is doubtful to play against the Vikings.

If Foreman can’t go, expect the Bears to split the backfield reps between Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson. Herbert looked rusty in his return to action last Sunday. The third-year back rushed for just 35 yards on 16 carries (2.2 yards per attempt) in the loss. The Bears handed the ball off to Herbert on back-to-back plays to open a critical drive late, but he gained just one yard, and the Bears wound up punting.

“I just have to find a way to make a play,” Herbert said after the loss.

The Bears expect to see a more explosive Herbert in his second game back from an ankle injury that cost him five games.

“I think it’s always fair to say, especially for a runner,” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said when asked if Herbert was a little rusty. “Same thing as we talked about with Justin, when you’re out for so long, just getting your feet back underneath you – you can kind of saw that in that he got better as the game went on. We anticipate him coming out and having a great day.”

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Justin Fields Nov 22

Justin Fields' belief in Tyler Scott more proof that key franchise QB box is checked

The Bears did have a late injury pop-up Saturday as rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson tweaked his ankle on the turf during practice. Head coach Matt Eberlfus said Saturday that Stevenson was getting evaluated to see how severe the tweak is and if he’ll be able to play Monday. He is listed as questionable for the game.

If Stevenson can’t go, that opens the door for fellow rookie Terell Smith to get the start. Smith returned from mono last Sunday, and the Bears worked him in every third series to get his feet wet.

Despite the in-and-out nature of Smith’s rookie season, the Bears have been impressed with his physicality and ability to quickly digest everything that’s thrown at him and put it into practice.

“Terell has looked good all the way back to training camp,” Eberflus said Saturday of Smith. “He’s mature beyond his years. He takes things in stride. He takes coaching really well. So coach Hoke’s a really good corners coach for a long time, and he’s done that for a while. He really soaks everything in. He’s technique-sound, fundamentally sound, and he’s got really good speed. We like his size, being able to play against bigger receivers. That’s kinda a trend in the league, those big-type receivers. He does a good job against those guys.”

So far this season, Smith has allowed nine catches on 17 targets for 115 yards, per Pro Football Focus. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 74.4 when throwing at him.

For the Vikings, star wide receiver Justin Jefferson is listed as questionable. Jefferson has been on injured reserve since Week 5 with a hamstring injury. The Vikings have until 3 p.m. Monday to activate him off IR.

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However, during the fourth quarter, the plan of attack got conservative and kept the door open for the Lions to make a 12-point comeback with under five minutes to play.

The first eyebrow-raising decision came midway through the fourth quarter after a 29-yard run from Fields got the Bears inside the Lions’ 30. Already up by nine, the Bears had a chance to go for the kill shot against the NFC North-leading Lions.

Instead, the Bears called three runs and settled for a short field goal. On third-and-7, Fields handed off to Roschon Johnson, who was stopped after a gain of 2 yards. Head coach Matt Eberflus defended the decision to take the ball out of Fields’ hands, pointing to Johnson’s run on third-and-medium earlier that the Bears converted.

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said that many factors played into the decision to run the ball on that critical third-and-7 that saw the Bears stretch their lead to 12 but gave the Lions a chance to come back.

“We’re always going to be in the best play mindset,” Getsy said Friday at Halas Hall. “When you’re in an advantageous position, like we felt like we were in those positions, we’re going to go with it. Run, pass, doesn’t necessarily always say we have to throw it or we have to run it, whichever makes you feel like you’re more aggressive. We called a run on third-and-6 or whatever and got the first down with Roschon earlier in that game. We executed right. We executed at a high level on that one.

“Sometimes you’re making those decisions based upon the situation, too. Do you want the clock to run? Are you already in field goal range? Are you worried about a pressure that might be coming? Or whatever it might be, you’re playing that chess game with the other side of the field, too. We felt good about all those calls. Do I want to take one or two of them back? Sure I do. I’d love to because now I know how they did, and I know how they defended us for sure.”

Eberflus said on Monday that Fields might have had a chance to “disconnect” from the mesh point on that play and keep it. Further film review of that third-and-7 call showed the receivers to the right were either preparing to block for a run to that side or a screen to DJ Moore, signaling it was a designed run-pass-option.

Johnson told NBC Sports Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times that he believes the play call was an RPO, with Fields having the choice to pull it and run or toss it out to Moore.

The rookie running back said that the look they got pre-snap pointed to a handoff and that he got tripped up by a body on the ground as he was squeezing through the hole or else he would have converted.

Getsy’s play-calling on the Bears’ subsequent drive has also been heavily scrutinized.

Up 26-21 with 2:59 remaining, the Bears needed to get two first downs to ice the biggest win of the Eberflus era.

On first down, Fields handed it off to Khalil Herbert for no gain. Getsy called a read-option on second down, and Fields gave it to Herbert for a gain of 1. After the loss, Fields said the Lions’ defense was playing them wide that drive to negate his running ability, so he gave it to Herbert.

Getsy agreed with that assessment while acknowledging that with Fields’ elite athleticism, the rules for when to give and when to keep might be a little different.

“That’s not an exact science,” Getsy said of the give. “There’s no exact science to exactly how you tell that quarterback to make the decision on it. I think there’s plenty of times throughout that game that you would say that if you’re coaching it, you’d say, ‘Why did you keep that?’ But sometimes it is who’s that person and who are you? And you have to feel what you feel, right? And I think from Justin’s standpoint, he made the right decision. We’ve got to execute the rest of the play a lot better the next time, and we will.”

CHICAGO BEARS

Justin Fields Nov 23

C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields, and the under-the-radar question about Bears' QB future

Justin Fields Nov 22

Justin Fields' belief in Tyler Scott more proof that key franchise QB box is checked

Justin Fields Nov 22

Justin Fields still waiting to get same calls as other NFL QBs

On the next play, Fields identified robber coverage at the snap, which took him away from Moore coming across the middle, and threw a deep shot to rookie Tyler Scott. The ball was thrown perfectly, but Scott “misjudged” it, and the pass fell incomplete.

Despite the safety coming down, Fields might have had an opportunity to hit Moore on the crossing route if he had waited a beat.

To Getsy, it’s all part of the NFL quarterback development process. It’s not just if not one, then two. It can be if not one, it’s two, but it can also still be one, depending on what kind of player you have out there and the matchup he is facing.

“I think that’s all part of your growth, and when you’re going through those types of situations, you always want to factor in who people are, that’s always matchups are always kind of a starting point of our week, when you’re putting your plan together,” Getsy said of the fateful third-and-9 call. “But the cool part about it was just the way that he processed it, the way he communicated, the way that he talked about why he did what he did and what he saw — that’s all real growth and stuff like that.”

The Bears’ collapse against the Lions and the subsequent autopsy shows the amount of growth still needed from every part of the offensive operation from Eberflus to Getsy, quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, Fields, the backs, receivers, and line. The offensive issues at the end of the game in Detroit are a symptom of a larger disease. It’s one that has infected everyone and one the Bears are still trying to purge.

Whether or not the Bears want to pull back the curtain on the decisive calls in Detroit, it’s clear that errors were made in multiple areas, and it helped fuel a historic collapse.

On Wednesday, Fields said the Bears “showed” who they were during the first 54 minutes in Detroit. That might be who they hope to become. But for now, they are what they showed in the critical moments — an operation that still can’t get out of its own way in the winning moments.

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The choice always seemed obvious. Fields flashed during a teardown season where he had no protection or weapons. The belief was that if the Bears could surround him with better weapons and a better line, he would take off. That theory, coupled with the underwhelming 2023 quarterback class, made Poles’ decision to trade the pick to the Carolina Panthers an easy decision.

But eight months after the Bears’ blockbuster trade with the Panthers, that decision looks murkier in hindsight.

The package the Bears got from the Panthers remains a haul. DJ Moore is a star, Darnell Wright is starting to blossom at right tackle, and Chicago is in the driver’s seat to once again have the No. 1 pick via the 1-9 Panthers.

But it’s the meteoric rise of Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, who went No. 2 overall, and the up-and-down season from Fields that creates the haze.

In 10 games, Stroud has thrown for 2,962 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing 62.8 percent of his passes. Stroud has the Texans at 6-4 and in position to make the playoffs in a crowded AFC. Those 2,962 passing yards are more than Fields threw for in 15 games last season.

“Stroud always had this kind of upside,” an AFC scout for a team that wasn’t in the running to draft the QB told NBC Sports Chicago. “I know some teams got scared off him because of the offense [Ohio State runs], but I think the Georgia game kind of showed you what he could be. That’s a defense with what, 10 first-rounders on it? He threw it all over them. If you can do that, there’s a pretty good chance you can succeed in the NFL.”

As Stroud makes a darkhorse MVP run, the Bears enter the final six games of the season needing to see consistent, high-level quarterback play from Fields to continue building around him. He needs their trust to do that, something they didn’t show toward the end of their 31-26 loss to the Detroit Lions.

With the Bears likely to have two picks in the top six or seven in the first round next April, the decision made last March and how it was made must be examined.

“Organizationally, the question you’d have to ask yourself is: was our evaluation process sound?” a player personnel staffer told NBC Sports Chicago. “It’s not a second guess of the package, right? You get an elite wide receiver. Need that. I like Wright, and the corner [Tyrique Stevenson] might pan out. You can’t put a price on the first-round pick this year [2024], given the quarterbacks coming out.

“But if you think Stroud is going to be a star or even if he’s better than your initial evaluation, you have to ask why you missed that. Or did you give yourself a chance to see it? They seemed pretty set on Fields. When you trade the pick that early, it seems like there’s an error in the evaluation process on some level. It was a good trade, don’t get me wrong, but you’d still rather have a set franchise quarterback.”

CHICAGO BEARS

Justin Fields Nov 22

Justin Fields' belief in Tyler Scott more proof that key franchise QB box is checked

Justin Fields Nov 22

Justin Fields still waiting to get same calls as other NFL QBs

Bears Insider Nov 21

Schrock: Bears failing Justin Fields in key evaluation spot says a lot about QB future

Poles said last year that he would need to be “blown away” to draft a quarterback and move on from Fields. As the Bears look toward an uncertain quarterback future, how they came to the decision last March will have to be inspected thoroughly as they potentially evaluate Caleb Williams and Drake Maye this offseason.

Did Poles even give himself a chance to be blown away? If their evaluation of Stroud was off by this much, what are the chances they evaluate the next crop successfully if they move on from Fields?

Speaking of Fields, where does this conversation leave him with six games to go?

“There’s still a lot to like,” the AFC scout said. “The playmaking, the upside. I think when they let him play how he feels comfortable, you see how good it can be. If they can get him to play like he did [against Detroit] consistently, then you have what you’re looking for. If you trade a guy with that talent, you better be right.”

That brings us back to Stroud, Williams, and Maye.

The easiest way to derail a rebuild is to spend top capital on a mis-evaluated quarterback. That can set you back years and normally ends with people losing their jobs.

With the draft capital the Bears have this offseason, a massive decision looms. They can keep Fields and add blue-chip talent around him. Marvin Harrison Jr. is as can’t-miss as they come.

Or they can reset the QB contract timeline with Williams or Maye and see what teams are willing to offer for Fields.

But they have to be sure the quarterback whose name they call in April is the guy and isn’t destined for the dustbin of history.

“What’s the bust rate of quarterbacks taken in the first round? Forty percent,” the player personnel staffer said. “So it’s already a gamble, and now you look back on the decision they made last offseason, and it makes you think: What’s the confidence level that we can get this right when we either missed last year or saw it and passed anyways?”

The best-case scenario for the Bears is Fields lights it up over the next six games, and they enter the offseason comfortable about their future at quarterback. It’s easy to be enticed by Williams or Maye, but having certainty in Fields is the more favorable door.

It’s like the “Family Guy” boat or a box bit.

In this case, Fields proving he’s a franchise quarterback to build around is the boat while the draft mystery box. Williams or Maye could be anything. The potential outcomes for their careers could run the gamut. Would you rather have a surefire franchise quarterback or draft someone with the potential to be what Fields is, better or worse?

If the Bears enter the offseason without a complete evaluation of Fields, it will be hard for them to turn down the chance to draft Williams or Maye. Having a quarterback on a rookie contract is the best asset in the NFL. That, coupled with the astronomical upside of the top two quarterbacks, creates a gravitational pull that might be hard for the Bears to escape.

But if they go that route, can they be trusted to evaluate them properly and make the right decision after they missed and/or passed on Stroud?

The biggest question about last offseason’s decision is not the trade haul returned for the No. 1 pick but the evaluation process that led them to that choice. Perhaps Fields will thrive over the next month and render this conversation moot. Maybe Stroud’s rise will be a mirage.

But Poles and this front office’s biggest decision informs the expectations for the next decision and creates an important and probably unanswerable question about how they’ll solve another monumental QB riddle this offseason.

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The passing numbers have to continue to improve. He has to be more efficient and productive during the fourth quarter. The Bears must see him consistently operate the offense in four-minute and two-minute situations. The flash plays are important. Fields’ legs are a rare weapon that most quarterbacks don’t have. If he can fine-tune his passing ability, the Bears can feel comfortable continuing to build around him as their franchise quarterback.

For all the things Fields has to prove before getting the franchise QB stamp of approval, there’s one vital aspect of being an NFL signal-caller that he has that you can’t teach: leadership.

While questions about Fields’ long-term staying power in Chicago have swirled outside Halas Hall, faith has never wavered inside the Bears’ locker room. Veteran leaders respect the 24-year-old quarterback for his work ethic and accountability and believe in his unique abilities. Younger teammates trust Fields and will follow his lead.

There are different ways to lead in the NFL.

Over the past two seasons, Fields has repeatedly shown that he has the leadership box on the franchise QB checklist marked in ink.

He did so again Wednesday at Halas Hall when he was asked about continuing to believe in Tyler Scott after the rookie wide receiver “misjudged” a critical pass on third-and-9 late in the Bears’ 31-26 meltdown loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

“One game is not going to define if I go back to him,” Fields said. “To be honest, with you, I don’t care if you keep dropping the ball because everybody — we have our own individual responsibility to help this team be successful. If the receiver’s open, I’m going to throw him the ball, and if he drops it, it’s his responsibility to catch the ball. That’s his job. He gets paid to do that.

“I’m not losing faith in him one game, two games, however many games, I’m going to keep going back to him. He’s going to be a great receiver, he has a lot of room to grow and he’s talented even now. He’s made a lot of plays for us this year on offense, special teams. He’s a speedster. Not many DBs can keep up with him. That one game, whatever it was. He had a tough game, but we’ve all had tough games. As a football player, you have tough games. I’ve had a lot of tough games. It does nothing but make me better, make him better. At the end of the day, he’s a hard worker. He’s not going to let one, two, three games define who he is as a player. I have full faith in Tyler. Everybody else does, too.”

CHICAGO BEARS

Justin Fields Nov 22

Justin Fields still waiting to get same calls as other NFL QBs

Bears Insider Nov 22

Bears overreactions: Is Lions debacle final straw for Matt Eberflus?

Bears Insider Nov 21

Schrock: Bears failing Justin Fields in key evaluation spot says a lot about QB future

Last season, after a 27-24 loss to the Falcons in Atlanta, Fields walked into the locker room and apologized to the defense for throwing a game-ending pick after suffering a separated left shoulder. Safety Eddie Jackson immediately stopped the apology.

It was a small moment. One that can cynically be viewed as a sports cliche. But it showed why, even when his play is inconsistent, the players in the locker room trust that Fields is their guy.

“It showed us what we already knew,” safety Eddie Jackson told NBC Sports Chicago of the apology at the time. “The type of player he is. Leader he is. He’s a winner, fighter. He’ll go out there and leave everything on the line. Things we already knew. The things everyone sees man, it’s true. Justin’s a fighter, a winner, a leader. He really takes this thing serious in how he prepares, how he works, and how he plays the game. He takes it serious. That’s just things we already knew about him though.”

Star cornerback Jaylon Johnson echoed Jackson’s sentiment.

“He takes a lot of accountability for this team’s success,” Johnson told NBC Sports Chicago then. “We know who he is. What he’s about it. It’s really no surprise to us. He’s always been that guy, that leader, somebody to take accountability, been somebody to lead this team and to take everything on.

“He never backs down. He hasn’t batted an eye at anything. He’s always first in line for whatever it is. Really he’s our leader. It just speaks to who he is as our leader. He just keeps showing up.”

That apology wasn’t the only time during a turbulent 3-14 season that Fields’ leadership was a bright spot.

During the Bears’ 41-10 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 17, wide receiver Chase Claypool blew up on the sideline. Claypool came off the field, tossed his helmet and started having words with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

That’s when Fields went over to calm the receiver down and get everyone on the same page.

“I talked to him like, ‘That’s not going to do anything. That’s not helping anybody,” Fields said that day in Detroit. “That’s just spreading everybody apart. We need to be here for each other, stick with each other, and fight,'” Fields said. “Not many teams in this league are going to fight the way we did. I just, I don’t know, I’m getting really passionate. It’s like every drive we’re going out and I’m like, ‘Yo, I don’t care what the score is. We’re going to play our hardest.’ They know that I’m doing that. Of course, going back on Chase, he’s passionate but just has to learn how to control those emotions and keep it inside and just know what’s going to be best for the team.”

Fields’ leadership that day was the lone bright spot in a dismal day in Detroit.

Almost a calendar year later, the Bears suffered a different kind of heartbreak in Detroit. But again, Fields was relied on to display leadership to lift up a vital member of his arsenal.

Fields plans to be in Chicago long term. He understands the stakes of the next six games, but he wants to be the face of the franchise.

Finding a franchise quarterback is an inexact science. Teams can and will overthink every piece of the equation.

The leadership portion is an abstract part of the puzzle. Several teams thought Justin Herbert wouldn’t make it because he’s quiet and has interests outside of football. Jay Cutler had all the ability in the world but didn’t have the galvanizing aurora that elevates quarterbacks from good to great or great to elite.

There’s no question that Fields has a lot to prove before the Bears can etch his name in stone under the quarterback portion of their rebuild.

But when you’re looking for a franchise quarterback, you’re also looking for a leader. Someone whose presence creates belief and draws teammates to line up behind him — a gravitational pull that’s hard to describe and even harder to discover in the pre-draft process.

Fields has that vital franchise quarterback box checked. If he can check the others in the final six games, a season that looks lost might wind up being a success after all.

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The Bears third-year quarterback has been asking officials to watch for late hits for the better part of two-plus seasons, but the flags just don’t get thrown in his favor.

Fields took several questionable hits during the Bears’ 31-26 meltdown loss to the Lions in Detroit. Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone was the culprit on a few of the shots on Fields. During the second half at Ford Field, Fields took off to the right side and was tackled by Lions rookie linebacker Jack Campbell. As Campell tackled Fields, Anzalone came flying in and made contact with Fields’ head after he was down.

Fields popped up and had words for both Anzalone and the officials.

That type of play was something Fields expected against the NFC North-leading Lions.

“That’s just what the Lions do — they play hard,” Fields said. “We knew that coming in that week, the kind of effort and toughness and grit they play with. Their head coach preaches that. We kinda knew it was gonna be that type of game. I was talking to the ref and just asked, like telling him like, ‘yo, just watch out. Heads up for a late hit’ or something like that. I guess I didn’t get any. Keep playing ball and control what I can control.”

CHICAGO BEARS

Bears Insider Nov 22

Bears overreactions: Is Lions debacle final straw for Matt Eberflus?

Bears Insider Nov 21

Schrock: Bears failing Justin Fields in key evaluation spot says a lot about QB future

Matt Eberflus Nov 19

Bears' search for answers after Lions meltdown must lead to hard rebuild truths

Last season, Fields got hit a lot and rarely got the benefit of a flag.

After a loss against the Atlanta Falcons, safety Jaquan Brisker came to his quarterback’s defense and demanded the NFL officiate him like other signal-callers.

“If that was a different quarterback, they would be throwing hella flags,” Brisker said last season. “A lot of flags. I feel like the league has to look at that. It’s crazy how many times he gets hit in the head every single game, but he still gets up. Gets hit out of bounds, late, or near the white.

“If that was Tom Brady, Jared Goff, or anybody like that, they throwing flags immediately. … I feel like they got to respect Justin some more and look at him as a quarterback because, obviously, there you should be more flags. He’s getting targeted every single game and none of them are being thrown.”

In the last two seasons, Fields has gotten those calls five times. All of them came last season, with two coming in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.

For comparison, Josh Allen has been the beneficiary of four roughing-the-passer calls this season, which leads the NFL. Last year, Jared Goff led the league with six. Fields has received zero roughing the passer or unnecessary roughness calls in six-plus starts this season after receiving five (one roughing, four unnecessary roughness) last season.

Fields does not get the benefit of the doubt when in the pocket and receives little to no protection when he takes off and runs. It has been a pattern for almost three seasons.

Toward the end of last season, Fields did acknowledge he must start asking for more calls to get the same treatment other quarterbacks receive.

“It’s been like too many times this year where I felt like I’ve gotten hit late or something like that, and there’s been no flag, so I mean, I’m going to be on the refs looking for a call, but when I think it’s a flag I’m going to ask the ref, and on Sunday he said he didn’t think it was a foul,” Fields said. “Yeah, I’m going to be begging for those calls and just hope I get one, one in the near future.”

Fields and the Bears are still waiting for those calls to come.

Then everything unraveled in the blink of an eye as the Bears blew a 12-point lead in the final 4:15. It was a historic loss on several levels.

It was a meltdown of epic proportions that should lead to some difficult conversations about the direction of the rebuild and who the foundational pieces — both player and coach — should be.

That’s where we start this week’s mailbag. With Matt Eberflus’ future and how much the Detroit debacle might impact it:

Overreaction? It can’t be at this point

I’ve been pretty convinced that Matt Eberflus’ job is safe. I think there are a number of reasons to believe he gets Year 3.

General manager Ryan Poles genuinely seems to think he’s the right man for the job. The defensive improvement since Eberflus has taken over the reins can’t be ignored. I also don’t think the Bears hold last year’s 3-14 season against him. How could they?

But if there’s one thing that can turn the tide, it might be what happened in Detroit. That was inexcusable on a multitude of levels.

The Bears played not to lose once they entered the fourth quarter.

The Bears opened the final frame by not converting a third-and-1 on a quarterback sneak. Eberflus went for it on two fourth downs earlier in the game but elected to take the field goal and go up nine. That defensible.

On the Bears’ next drive, quarterback Justin Fields got them inside the Lions’ 30-yard line on a 29-yard run. Up nine, the Bears had a chance to go for the kill shot with Fields in a groove. Instead, they turtled up, electing to run it three times and kick a short field goal.

You can also critique the timeout Eberflus called when the Lions got down to the 1-yard line with 31 seconds to go. Eberflus called the timeout to preserve time for the Bears offense, but the Bears might have been better served forcing the Lions, who were out of timeouts, to rush to the line and try to execute in a hurry.

We can also nitpick the defensive end “rotation” that saw Montez Sweat play just 63 percent of the snaps and only half of the Lions’ third-down and red zone plays.

The Bears also played linebacker Dylan Cole one snap on defense. That snap happened to be on a second-and-goal from the 2-yard line that ended with Jahmyr Gibbs blistering Cole in a foot race to score the Lions’ first touchdown.

If I were a gambling man (I dabble), I’d say Eberflus avoids the axe after the season. The Bears have winnable games on their schedule. A 5-12 finish is an improvement from last season, and Poles understands it’s early in the process.

But the Lions meltdown causes a snowball effect, and the Bears start to fold, that could be all she wrote.

Overreaction? No

The NFL is all about self-preservation, and the ladder of power shows you who the shields are when it comes time to make changes.

General managers normally get two head coaches and at least one quarterback that’s of their choosing. So, as far as Poles is concerned, Eberflus and Fields will likely be swapped out before he gets ejector-seated.

CHICAGO BEARS

Bears Insider Nov 21

Schrock: Bears failing Justin Fields in key evaluation spot says a lot about QB future

Montez Sweat Nov 20

Bears snap count: Montez Sweat's play time shows troubling issue in Lions debacle

Matt Eberflus Nov 19

Bears' search for answers after Lions meltdown must lead to hard rebuild truths

Eberflus’ seat, should he keep his job, will be hot this offseason. That, coupled with the very plausible scenario of drafting a new quarterback, could likely lead to a change at offensive coordinator.

Getsy has his warts as a play-caller. There’s no doubt. But he’s an easy scapegoat for issues that go far beyond his control.

But that’s how the NFL works.

I don’t think there’s a world where Eberflus and Getsy are both back. If the Bears plan to draft a different quarterback and move on from Fields, they should scrap the entire operation and ensure the new quarterback is on the same timeline as his coach and play-caller.

But that’s how functioning organizations work. The Bears aren’t there yet.

Overreaction? A little

Poles should shoulder a bunch of the blame for this season.

His offseason moves have been hit-and-miss at best.

Linebacker T.J. Edwards has played well after a slow start, defensive tackle Andrew Billings has bolstered the run defense, and Darnell Wright looks like a franchise right tackle.

Edmunds has been underwhelming, Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens have been slow developing, and the Chase Claypool trade blew up in his face after three weeks.

You can point to several routes the Bears could have gone that might (likely would’ve had) a more significant impact on the team than the investments Poles made. Jalen Carter and Orlando Brown Jr. are the two that come to mind, but Wright has been good, and Braxton Jones has not been the weak link on the offensive line.

Poles could have tried to draft a center in the second round instead of cornerback Tyrique Stevenson or Dexter. There’s an argument to be made that going Jalen Carter and John Michael Schmitz with the first two picks would have been a better use of the draft capital.

There’s reason to critique Poles’ roster-building approach, but an almost fully healthy Bears team just drubbed the Lions for 54 minutes before melting down, so perhaps patience is required with the GM.

Overreaction? Yes and no

The easy way to answer this is: if Fields ends up staying, he likely played well enough to win games, and therefore, Eberflus is safe like Dave Roberts in the 2004 ALCS.

If Eberflus is gone, it’s almost a near certainty Fields is also out, and the Bears will move on with a new coach-QB combo.

Hard to imagine a world where Fields plays well enough to earn their full long-term confidence, but Eberflus is launched out of Halas Hall.

I don’t think it has anything to do with the amount of coaches/coordinators Fields has had. It’s more about the logical scenario that Fields being good will likely equal better play from the Bears, which reflects positively on Eberflus, and we’re all vibing together into the offseason, right? Right?!

As an aside, while Fields’ stock is up after one game, the Bears are looking at the totality of his tenure, and it’s going to take a lot more than 54 good minutes for them to pick him over Caleb Williams/Drake Maye and the opportunity to reset the QB contract timeline.

There are a lot of moving pieces and long-term ramifications to consider. Three good quarters in Detroit is a minuscule piece of the puzzle.

Overreaction? No

I’m just going to focus on the final bullet point here since we’ve touched on Eberflus and Fields ad nauseam.

Drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. is a no-brainer.

If the Bears have the chance to draft him, and it doesn’t interfere with their long-term quarterback plans, they shouldn’t waste a second.

If Fields cements himself as the guy in the final six games, giving him Harrison to pair with DJ Moore would be NOS in his development fuel lines.

If Fields doesn’t, and the Bears somehow end up with two of the top five picks and can draft Williams or Maye and Harrison, they should do that. The Bengals pairing Joe Burrow with JaMarr Chase was a brilliant blueprint that should be copied.

You need an elite wide receiver to win in today’s NFL. Having two makes your offense almost impossible to stop.

Overreaction? I’d like to say yes.

The Jim Harbaugh piece of the equation, for the Bears and all NFL teams, will be interesting to monitor this offseason.

It feels like Harbaugh’s time at Michigan is coming to an end, especially if the Wolverines finish the deal and win the College Football Playoff National Championship.

If Harbaugh chooses to return to the NFL, the Bears seem like an obvious fit.

But you bring up two good points.

He will carry a hefty price tag, and the Bears might not be interested in writing a big check while also paying the current staff to exit the building. The second part of the Harbaugh scenario is that he could very well ask for personnel control, which would either mean Poles goes or the Bears construct a Mike Mayock/Jon Gruden structure where Poles is the GM, but Harbaugh gets the final say on personnel decisions.

That’s a sticky scenario.

The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers (assuming Brandon Staley is gone) seem like great fits for Harbaugh.

He’d be an excellent hire for the Bears. He wins. He wears out his welcome, but he wins.

I’m not sure that’s the route they’d take if they move on from Eberflus, though.

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The third-year quarterback needs to string two months of high-level play together to prove to general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus that they should continue to build around him as their franchise quarterback and not jump ship to Caleb Williams Island or Drake Maye Key.

The Bears said they need to see Fields consistently improve. They want to see him take care of the ball while making game-changing plays with both his arm and legs. They need to see him operate the offense cleanly in four-minute, two-minute, and end-of-game situations. Can he prove he can play quarterback at a high level and be the reason the Bears win games? Can he make Luke Getsy’s sometimes clunky offense look better than it is? Can he elevate those around him as other franchise quarterbacks do?

Fields played 53 minutes of damn good football Sunday in Detroit. He played free, hung in the pocket, made good and quick decisions, kept his eyes downfield when he was forced to escape, tormented the Lions with his legs, and his 39-yard touchdown strike to DJ Moore was quintessential Fields when he’s on.

The quarterback dropped back and was pressured from his left. Fields dodged the rusher, stepped up in the pocket, and ripped a rope to Moore for a score.

For 53 minutes, Fields gave the Lions fits. He finished the day 16-for-23 for 169 yards and a touchdown while adding 104 on the ground.

When Fields bolted out of the pocket and picked up 29 yards on third-and-14 with just under seven minutes to play, it looked like the third-year quarterback would begin the critical seven-game stretch with a signature win — by beating a measuring-stick opponent with plays that reminded how special he can be.

It was all right there. Then, the Bears’ coaching staff — the same one that needs to see Fields execute in do-or-die situations and prove he can win them games when everything is on the line — took it out of his hands.

Up nine and facing a first-and-10 at the Lions’ 26-yard line, the Bears had the kill shot in their sights. All they had to do was keep the game plan the same as it had been for the first 53 minutes, let Fields continue to make smart decisions and roll out of Detroit with a marquee win.

Instead, the Bears coached not to lose.

The Bears handed the ball off to Khalil Herbert for a gain of 1 on first down. Fields kept it on a zone read for 2 on second down to set up a critical third-and-7.

It should have been another opportunity to evaluate Fields. To put the ball in his hands and see if they are the hands you want controlling your fate for the next 10 years.

Instead, the Bears handed it off to Roschon Johnson for 2 yards and kicked a field goal to go up 12.

Fields’ grade on that drive went from an A to an incomplete with three confounding play calls.

“Yeah, we love those plays we had there, even the one on third down,” Eberflus said Monday at Halas Hall. “We thought we could pop that for the third down. I think it was third and 7 there potentially, yep. We like that. He could have had a disconnect on that one but decided to hand it off. I think 34 was there waiting for him. We thought we could pop that one, so that’s where it was.”

Not only did the Bears waste an evaluation opportunity with those three calls, but they also cost themselves the win.

The Lions went right down and scored in 1:16 to cut the lead to five.

That meant Fields got one more chance to make the winning plays to put in the pro column on his evaluation ledger. With less than three minutes left, the Bears were going to be conservative. That’s fine. But there’s a difference between not wanting to turn the ball over and turtling.

The Bears did the latter.

The first-down call was a vanilla shotgun handoff to Herbert. No creativity, no motion, no keeper option. Just run it up the middle for no gain. On second-and-10, the Bears called a read option that the Lions played perfectly, forcing Fields to hand it to Herbert for a gain of 1.

On third-and-9 and needing a first down to almost ice it, the Bears finally put the ball in Fields’ hands. DJ Moore was the primary read, but when the safety came down in robber coverage, Fields knew he had Tyler Scott singled up on the outside and took his shot. Fields’ ball was perfectly thrown, but Scott “misjudged” it, and it fell incomplete past his outstretched fingers.

The Bears punted and the rest is history as the Lions completed a historic comeback to win 31-26.

Six plays (or more) in the perfect NFL cauldron for the Bears to evaluate Fields — to get the information they claim they want — and they completely punted on an opportunity they needed to plot a course forward.

“The last play we talked about with the cross to DJ, and he threw it over top, I mean that would have been a spectacular play if we connected on that,” Eberflus said Monday when asked if the Bears could get a full evaluation fo Fields if they don’t put the ball in his hands in critical moments. “We were right there. We just got to do a good job of executing in that moment, and that’s what we’re talking about as a group. Taking accountability is offense, defense and kicking, about finishing the right way. We have to do that.”

The lack of execution by Scott, a talented but raw rookie receiver, isn’t the issue.

The issue is everything that came before it in the fourth quarter.

With a chance to plunge a dagger into the Lions’ heart, the Bears asked little of Fields. Out of the 19 offensive plays the Bears ran in the fourth quarter, only six were passing plays. Four were quarterback runs, one was a sneak, and the other eight were handoffs.

The Bears called passing plays on these downs in the final quarter:

–Third-and-4 (defensive holding)
— Second-and-6 (scramble)
— Second-and-6 (sack)
–Third-and-14 (scramble)
–Third-and-9 (incomplete)
— First-and-10 (strip-sacked with 29 seconds left, trailing by two)

CHICAGO BEARS

Bears Insider Nov 20

Braxton Jones explains bizarre moment he was pulled from game in Bears' loss vs. Lions

Montez Sweat Nov 20

Bears snap count: Montez Sweat's play time shows troubling issue in Lions debacle

Matt Eberflus Nov 19

Bears' search for answers after Lions meltdown must lead to hard rebuild truths

Perhaps the Bears don’t truly want Fields to prove it to them. Maybe the die was cast long ago, and they are ready to move on to a rookie quarterback of their choosing.

But what would serve this rebuild the best is for Fields to go out and prove to be the guy. At the very least, the Bears have to be sure he’s not a franchise quarterback before moving on from him if they want to avoid a crippling mistake.

The unknown of a draft pick can be intoxicatingly enticing for front offices. But quarterback evaluation is an inexact science. Even the best prospects bust at a high rate.

Look at the 2021 draft class and where they are today:

— Trevor Lawrence (starter)
— Zach Wilson (third string behind Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian)
— Trey Lance (third string behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush)
— Justin Fields
— Mac Jones (TBD based on the week of practice vs. Bailey Zappe)

Having Fields remove doubt is a much better option than rolling the dice on Williams or Maye. It’s not a question of talent but rather an acknowledgment that finding a franchise QB in the draft is much easier done on Madden than in real life.

But the Bears coached Sunday like they didn’t want to see if Fields could prove them wrong. Maybe their minds are made up, or perhaps it’s just an archaic way of coaching that says playing conservatively is the surest way to win.

Either way, what the Bears did Sunday in the fourth quarter didn’t move them any closer to clarity on Fields. On the contrary, letting him play free for three quarters only to handcuff him in the fourth makes the picture even murkier with six games left.

Unless they’ve already made up their mind. If they have, Fields faces an almost insurmountable uphill climb to change their minds.

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The Bears bludgeoned the Detroit Lions for 55 minutes before collapsing in historic fashion in the Motor City. Tommy DeVito led the should-be tanking Giants to a shocking win over the Washington Commanders, Dorian Thompson-Robinson outplayed Kenny Pickett as the Browns beat the Steelers, and the Green Bay Packers are somehow back in the playoff hunt (kind of) after getting the best of the Chargers.

OK, maybe some of that I should have seen coming.

Meanwhile, Brock Purdy and the 49ers detonated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi’s Stadium, and the NFL waved goodbye to the 2023 Bengals, whose Super Bowl hopes evaporated with Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury on Thursday night.

BEARS INSIDER

Matt Eberflus Nov 19

Bears' search for answers after Lions meltdown must lead to hard rebuild truths

Justin Fields Nov 19

Schrock's Bears Report Card: Grading Justin Fields, offense, defense in Lions loss

Justin Fields Nov 19

Tyler Scott ‘misjudged' Justin Fields' ‘great' pass on do-or-die play in loss vs. Lions

Here’s where each team sits after Week 11:

1. Philadelphia Eagles (9-1): The Eagles are head and shoulders above the rest of the NFL as we hit Thanksgiving, and they haven’t even played their best football yet. Birds looking to peak at the right time after notching a statement win over the Chiefs.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-3): Patrick Mahomes can only do so much. The Chiefs’ lack of reliable receivers cost them Monday night against the Eagles and might be what costs Mahomes a third ring.
3. San Francisco 49ers (7-3): Mr. Relevant was perfect Sunday against the Bucs. With Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel back and healthy, the 49ers have returned to their unstoppable wrecking ball form.
4. Baltimore Ravens (8-3): The Ravens have all the pieces in place to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, but Lamar Jackson will have to shake a troubling playoff reputation to get there.
5. Detroit Lions (8-2): The Lions messed around with the lowly Bears on Sunday, but made the plays needed to erase a 12-point deficit in the final five minutes to stay on track. The Lions’ offense is elite, but the defense has to take a leap for them to be considered a realistic threat to the top two in the NFC.
6. Miami Dolphins (7-3): The Dolphins’ win over the Raiders means little, but it was another game in which their defense allowed fewer than 20 points since Jalen Ramsey’s return. That bodes well for their playoff prospects.
7. Dallas Cowboys (7-3): The Cowboys bludgeoned another bad team Sunday. If they handed out rings for beating the dregs of the NFL, the Cowboys’ drought would have ended long ago.
8. Houston Texans (6-4): C.J. Stroud continues to rise in the MVP race, and DeMeco Ryans is your runaway Coach of the Year. Don’t sleep on the Texans’ chances of making some noise come January. With Stroud under center, they’ll have a chance in any game.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3): The Jags were embarrassed by the 49ers last week and took their frustrations out on a sinking Titans team. Trevor Lawrence was surgical, and Calvin Ridley had his best game in over a month. As it turns out, the Jags are still pretty good.
10.  Cleveland Browns (7-3): The Browns losing Deshaun Watson for the season makes their franchise-altering trade look worse, but the on-field impact might not be felt until we get to the playoffs. Dorian Thompson-Robinson was serviceable against a good Steelers defense Sunday. With the Browns’ elite defense on the other side, all DTR has to do is not screw it up.
11.  Buffalo Bills (6-5): Are the Bills back? Putting up 32 points on a Jets defense that has given elite quarterbacks fits all season is certainly a good sign. Maybe Ken Dorsey was the problem. (He wasn’t.)
12.  Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4): The Steelers have been winning with smoke and mirrors all season, and it finally bit them Sunday against the Browns. Kenny Pickett continues to play abysmal football, but the Steelers’ only other option is Mitch Trubisky. Is it time for Pittsburgh to make a change to see if it can spark a dormant offense?
13. Denver Broncos (5-5): Tip your cap to Sean Payton. The Broncos didn’t flinch after their putrid start and found their way back to .500 and are just one game back of the seventh-seeded Steelers.
14. Minnesota Vikings (6-5): The Josh Dobbs Magic came to an end Sunday in Denver. Turnovers will do that. Expect him to rekindle that magic against a Bears team that’s allergic to winning next Monday.
15. Indianapolis Colts (5-5): That the Colts are in the hunt for a playoff spot in mid-November is a credit to Shane Steichen. The cupboard wasn’t as full in Indy as many would have you believe.
16. Seattle Seahawks (6-4): Geno Smith’s elbow injury bears watching as the Seahawks enter a critical four-game stretch that sees them face the 49ers twice and the Eagles and Cowboys once. Smith was having a good game before he left in the third quarter. Things could go off the rails quickly if the Seahawks have to turn to Drew Lock.
17. New Orleans Saints (5-5): We all just need to get comfortable with the fact that Derek Carr or Jameis Winston will be quarterbacking the NFC South champion Saints on Wild Card Weekend. It’s happening. Doesn’t mean you have to watch, though.
18. Los Angeles Rams (4-6): The Rams took a step toward the playoffs with a win over the Seahawks on Sunday. They still face an uphill climb, especially if Cooper Kupp has to miss time with an ankle injury, but the path is there for Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford to get back to the dance.
19. Las Vegas Raiders (5-6): The Raiders suffered their first loss under interim head coach Antonio Piece on Sunday in a game they played not to lose in Miami. Their defense played well, but the offense looked like a unit led by a first-time play-caller and rookie quarterback. The honeymoon couldn’t last forever.
20. Green Bay Packers (4-6): The Packers’ rookie wide receivers finally made a splash Sunday against a Chargers defense that has only been able to stop Tyson Bagent and Zach Wilson. Aaron Jones’ injury puts a damper on this one, but the Packers are somehow “in the hunt” as we head toward December. That says more about the state of the NFC than their actual playoff prospects, though.
21. Los Angeles Chargers (4-6): Justin Herbert’s frustration finally started to show in Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Brandon Staley refuses to give up defensive play-calling and the decision to draft Quentin Johnston instead of Zay Flowers in Round 1 looks worse every week. I wonder how Jim Harbaugh feels about Southern California.
22.  New York Jets (4-6): The Jets could have made a move for a quarterback and been a legitimate AFC East threat. Instead, they stuck with Zach Wilson and their season is now on life support.
23. Cincinnati Bengals (5-5): This ranking only reflects the Bengals’ present and future. That’s the one without quarterback Joe Burrow. Season is over in The Jungle.
24. Atlanta Falcons (4-6): Arthur Smith is going back to Desmond Ridder at quarterback when the Falcons exit the bye week. I give it a week until he gets frustrated and goes back to Taylor Heinicke. It feels like the coaching seat is about to get warm in Atlanta.
25.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6): On paper, the Bucs should have enough to make a run at an NFC South title. They are only one game back of the first-place Saints. But the Bucs had four starters leave Sunday’s game with injuries, and the defense gave up 413 total yards to the 49ers. Red flags are everywhere.
26.  Chicago Bears (3-8): The Bears had a statement win slip through their fingers with a historic late-game collapse against the Lions. Chicago outplayed the first-place Lions for 55 minutes but fell apart in winning time. Don’t blame this one on Justin Fields, though. It belongs on Matt Eberflus’ ledger.
27.  Washington Commanders (4-7): It’s about time for Riverboat Ron to set sail after losing to Tommy DeVito.
28.  New York Giants (3-8): Just like that, Tommy DeVito has cost the Giants the inside track at Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.
29. Tennessee Titans (3-7): The Titans have been outscored 140-70 on the road this season. Tennessee has two road games left – Miami and Houston – so it’s possible the Titans will finish the season 0-8 away from home.
30.  New England Patriots (2-8): The Patriots were Sunday’s big winner. They didn’t have to watch Mac Jones play quarterback, and the Giants inexplicably won a game to bump the Patriots up in the race for Williams or Maye.
31. Arizona Cardinals (2-9): Kyler Murray’s return at least makes the Cardinals watchable, but this is a 4-13 team that should finish at 2-15 if it knows what’s good for it.
32. Carolina Panthers (1-9): The Panthers still don’t have an offensive identity or their first-round pick. If the Panthers can’t find someone to get the best out of Bryce Young, this could be the start of a downward spiral that will take years for the franchise to recover from.

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One strange sequence that might have gotten lost in the initial wreckage of another Bears collapse was left tackle Braxton Jones getting pulled from the game in the middle of a Bears drive in the third quarter.

With the Bears trailing 14-13 with just under six minutes to play in the third quarter, quarterback Justin Fields handed the ball off to running back Khalil Herbert for no gain on first-and-10 at the Lions’ 28-yard line. After the play, Jones was pulled from the game, and Larry Borom entered. Jones went to the sideline and was clearly upset with the Bears’ training staff. He removed his helmet and slammed it into the bench before sitting down.

T.V. microphones caught Jones saying, “I can’t f—ing see,” while walking off the field. The Bears’ drive stalled, but Jones returned for the next series.

On Monday, the second-year left tackle explained the bizarre moment.

“In the play, I had rolled and tumbled, and I just got up way too quick,” Jones told Chicago media at Halas Hall. “Just got a little dizzy. I just needed a second. The refs took me off. I was evaluated. I was completely fine, honestly. I just think I was tired, needed 10 seconds to re-gather myself, but we didn’t have 10 seconds, obviously, the play clock was going down. Just needed to get off and get evaluated. I was completely fine. I knew I was fine. That’s kinda why I was frustrated, but no need to react like that, and I apologize for reacting like that. Just in the moment, I want to be out there for my teammates and everything like that. Nothing was wrong with me. I got evaluated and was right back out there playing.”

Jones said that “everything rushed to his head” when he popped back up and was “stuck” for a second. The Southern Utah product feels that he didn’t need to come out but understands his teammates and the officials were trying to do what was best for him.

“My teammates also were just trying to help me, telling me to get down and just make sure that I was all right,” Jones said. “In the mix of emotion and a lot going on and a close game there, just was frustrated. Honestly, i probably didn’t even need to come out, but they just wanted to check on me and make sure I was OK. The frustration just came from, I want to be there for my teammates. I’m a team player. I don’t like taking plays off. I don’t like coming out.”

CHICAGO BEARS

Montez Sweat Nov 20

Bears snap count: Montez Sweat's play time shows troubling issue in Lions debacle

Matt Eberflus Nov 19

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Bears Insider Nov 20

Schrock's NFL Power Rankings: Where Bears stand after collapse vs. Lions

Jones played 73 of 75 snaps in the Bears’ loss in Detroit. Per Pro Football Focus, Jones gave up four pressures in the loss.

This season was meant to be an important one for Jones’ growth as a franchise left tackle. The six-game absence due to a neck injury cost him valuable snaps, but Jones believes he can already see the difference in his play from a year ago. That doesn’t mean he’s satisfied, though. He has a lot of work to do to get where he and the Bears need him to be.

“Just based off of self-reflection, last year, I didn’t necessarily know how to gauge my play, and this year, I do,” Jones said. “I’m still not where I want to be. There’s just things I’ve gotta clean up, and I know how to clean them up.

“But I’m getting there. I’ve gotta be more strict on myself in some technique things, but other than that, I feel 100% and way better than I have in the last eight weeks, so based off last year, it’s not a true—like, I can’t compare just because I was a rookie. I was just playing, playing ball. This year, I know a little bit more. Based off my second year, I could be doing a little bit better.”

But where Jones’ most significant issue last year (anchoring against the bull rush) couldn’t be addressed until the offseason, the Year 2 improvements can be made in-season.

“To me, it’s discouraging that you don’t go out there and do it immediately, but obviously, some of this stuff takes time, especially when you have time out, but it’s super fixable,” Jones said. “I see the things glaring. Most of it’s pad level. Right now, when I put myself in the right position, I’m sitting on the bull rush, but I’m not even putting myself in the right position to sit on the bull rush and to help myself out, so I think that’s the biggest deal is putting myself in better situations.

“I just feel like I’m kinda shooting out of there, just trying to do too much, and it’s just putting me in bad situations, but when I put myself in the best situation, it looks the best, and I’m sitting on the bull rush just a little bit better than I was last year, but right now I just feel like I’m not putting myself in those good situations, and I’m gonna continue to work, and I’m doing the extra work before and after practice to try and get that done. I just think it’s gotta click on the field in the heat of the moment while I’m tired and stuff like that.”

Jones and the Bears must quickly put Sunday’s events in MoTown behind them. There’s no time to sulk in the NFL. Another opponent awaits Monday when the Bears visit Josh Dobbs and the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.

That’s another opportunity for Jones to get better and another chance for this Bears team — players and coaches — to show they are building something worth continuing.

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That’s why he was brought to Chicago.

But that wasn’t the case Sunday in the Bears’ 31-26 meltdown loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Sweat played just 39 snaps in the loss in Detroit. That’s good for 63 percent of the Bears’ total defensive snaps. Yannick Ngakoue paced all Bears edge rushers with 45 snaps, and DeMarcus Walker nearly equaled Sweat with 38.

Sweat was also off the field on several critical third-down and red-zone plays. After the game, the defensive end told reporters that he subbed himself out on a third and goal play that the Lions scored on.

For comparison, Lions star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson played 69 snaps Sunday, good for 92 percent of the Lions’ defensive snaps.

That’s what is required out of a star pass rusher. They should rarely come off the field.

On Monday, head coach Matt Eberflus defended the Bears’ defensive line rotation that kept Sweat off the field in some big moments.

“For sure, we want him out there more,” Eberflus said Monday. “But those guys are rotating. Travis rotates them in and out. Usually, they’re five to seven plays – somewhere in there – during the two-minute drive like that. You just gotta platoon them and get them in there fresh. And when those lead dogs are fresh, you put them back in. You just gotta do that because those guys are throwing their fastball every time.

“Sweat’s one of our best players, he really is, and that’s just how we do it,” Eberflus later said when asked if Sweat should be playing more. “We platoon our guys and keep them fresh that way. That’s how we do it.”

After reviewing the film, Sweat was on the field for just 50 percent of the snaps in which the Lions either had a third down or were inside the red zone (9/18). The Bears’ star edge rusher was on the field for the majority of the Lions’ final two offensive drives that decided the game (12/17).

That 9/18 number on critical downs is a problem. There are some defensible reasons for that, depending on the length of the drive and the tempo of the offense, but the Bears need Sweat to be on the field more, especially on the money downs.

That’s why he’s here.

CHICAGO BEARS

Matt Eberflus Nov 19

Bears' search for answers after Lions meltdown must lead to hard rebuild truths

Justin Fields Nov 19

Schrock's Bears Report Card: Grading Justin Fields, offense, defense in Lions loss

After a dominating performance against the Carolina Panthers, Sweat notched just one pressure against the Lions. That pressure resulted in a sack, but otherwise, the flash plays needed didn’t show up on a consistent basis.

Perhaps that’s because he only played 39 snaps. It’s also a credit to Detroit’s offensive line, which stymied Sweat but allowed Walker and Ngakoue to combine for seven pressures, per Pro Football Focus.

Eberflus lauded “The ‘Tez Effect” after the win over the Panthers. It was evident against a bad Carolina team. The effect was different/less noticeable against a more proven Lions front.

The Bears need Sweat to have a more consistent impact and find a way to make sure he’s on the field in critical situations. Having a rotation is important, but the staff and Sweat must solve the issue that popped up in Detroit. Getting Rasheem Green and DeMarcus Walker snaps is nice, but Sweat should outpace them significantly as other top-tier edge rushers do.

On Sunday, Hutchinson played 92 percent of the Lions’ snaps. T.J. Watt played 97 percent of the downs for the Steelers, Myles Garrett clocked in at 84 percent, and Nick Bosa checked in at 87.

The Bears need Sweat to play that high percentage of snaps, especially in a game where the defense was only on the field for 62 total plays. Hutchinson played more snaps than the entire Bears defense Sunday and almost doubled up Sweat.

That’s the bar for an elite, game-changing edge rusher. Sweat shouldn’t factor into a normal “rotation.”

Here’s the snap count from the Bears’ loss to the Lions:

Quarterback: Justin Fields 75

Running back: Khalil Herbert 32, Roschon Johnson 25, D’Onta Foreman 18, Khari Blasingame 16

Wide receiver: DJ Moore 73, Darnell Mooney 45, Equanimeous St. Brown 32, Tyler Scott 27, Trent Taylor 5

Tight ends: Cole Kmet 59, Marcedes Lewis 30, Robert Tonyan 13

Offensive line: Teven Jenkins 75, Nate Davis 75, Darnell Wright 75, Braxton Jones 73, Dan Feeney 40, Lucas Patrick 35, Larry Borom 2

Defensive line: Yannick Ngakoue 45, Montez Sweat 39, DeMarcus Walker 38, Justin Jones 37, Gervon Dexter 30, Andrew Billings 23, Rasheem Green 20, Zacch Pickens 17

Linebacker: T.J. Edwards 61, Tremaine Edmunds 41, Jack Sanborn 29, Dylan Cole 1

Defensive backs: Eddie Jackson 62, Jaquan Brisker 62, Jaylon Johnson 61, Kyler Gordon 53, Tyrique Stevenson 49, Terell Smith 13, Elijah Hicks 1

Special teams: Cole 19, Jaylon Jones 18, Josh Blackwell 18, Blasingame 16, Hicks 16, Travis Home 16, DeMarquis Gates 16, Cairo Santos 13, T. Smith 13, Tonyan 13, R. Johnson 13, Trenton Gill 9, Stevenson 9, Sanborn 8, Patrick Scales 8, Wright 6, Jenkins 6, Cody Whitehair 6, Borom 6, Kmet 6, Feeney 6, Edwards 6, Davis 4, St. Brown 4, Brisker 4, Green 3, Walker 4, Ju. Jones 3, Taylor 3, Patrick 2, Moore 1, Herbert 1, Scott 1, Lewis 1, Ja. Johnson 1, Ngakoue 1, Sweat 1, Edmunds 1, Pickens 1

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Fields popped up after the conversion and started dancing. The Bears were handling the NFC North-leading Lions with relative ease. The defense picked off Lions quarterback Jared Goff three times, and Fields was making plays with his arm and legs that had to make some people believe this was the start of something.

A statement win over the Lions that would have been the biggest win of Fields’ career and the Matt Eberflus era was within the Bears’ grasp Sunday. For a moment, things started to feel different.

Then, the Bears became the Bears again.

Up by 12 with five minutes left, the Bears allowed the Lions to march down the field in 1:16. A quick three-and-out in which the Bears mostly took the ball out of Fields’ hands followed. The Lions promptly marched right back down the field and scored again to take a 29-26 lead with 29 seconds remaining.

An unraveling of monumental proportions was complete, and it took all of 4:20 seconds to complete in the 31-26 meltdown loss.

NFL teams are now 27-3 when they win the turnover battle by three. The Bears’ loss Sunday is one of those three. Since the NFL-AFL merger, there have been 61 teams that have held the ball for at least 40 minutes and collected four takeaways. The Bears are just the third team to lose and the first to do so in regulation. Since 1932, no NFL team with a plus-three turnover margin and 40-plus minutes of possession had ever lost. Teams were 48-0. They are now 48-1.

Ten days ago, the Bears believed they found something in a gritty win over the Carolina Panthers. For 55 minutes Sunday, it looked like they did.

But this team — staff and players — still needs to learn how to win.

“It’s tough. It hurts. It hurts a lot,” tight end Cole Kmet said after the loss. “Third time I think we’ve handled these guys pretty well in my last three years. You go back to last year at home, we kind of kicked their ass and lose the game. The year prior to that, kicked their ass and lose the game. I’m talking physically, time of possession, all those things. We just got to find a way. I’m not going to lie. It’s hard.”

Kmet is typically one to find the silver linings even in losses. That time is over for one of the franchise’s cornerstones.

“Yeah,” Kmet said when asked if it was time the moral victories ended. “We need to win.”

A throughline of the Eberflus era — all 28 games — is the Bears’ inability to execute in critical moments. They manhandled a Lions team that is a legitimate Super Bowl contender for three-and-a-half quarters Sunday. They’ve done that before.

When winning time came, they crumbled. Folded like a cheap suit. Dissolved like a wet paper bag.

The Bears’ locker room has shown resolve throughout a turbulent season. They’ve remained confident the right pieces are in place, and the right people are at the controls. There has been belief that the expected results would come.

Sunday’s loss sent them searching for answers. Answers that this team might not be equipped to find in the final six games of the season.

That journey will have to start inward for key members of this Bears foundation.

“We just got to finish it out,” running back Khalil Herbert said. “I just got to make a play.”

Cornerback Jaylon Johnson lamented two dropped interceptions that would have put the Lions out early.

“I should have capitalized,” Johnsons said. “I felt, honestly, I had two opportunities to put 14 points on the board. Just for me, you got to finish those better. Not easy catches, but I’m a player that can make those plays and I got to do it.

“Pretty frustrating. I mean, I feel like, honestly, the whole game we whooped they ass and then they came through when it mattered.”

Linebacker T.J. Edwards maintained the Bears have the right guys in the locker room. This won’t break them. It can be a catalyst for future games in the cauldron.

But eventually, they have to learn to win. However, learning experiences are only those if lessons are digested and changes are made.

That hasn’t been the case so far.

There were too many mistakes by supposed foundational rebuild members to count.

There were Johnson’s dropped interceptions and Herbert’s inability to grind out key yards in what should be a game-icing two-minute drive. There was a missed deep connection between Fields and Tyler Scott on which the rookie “misjudged” the ball. That would have iced the game. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds missed key open-field tackles on the Lions’ two late scoring drives. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s play-calling on the final two-minute drive was stuff out of the “play not to win” bible. Eberflus elected to kick two short field goals instead of going for it when he had early in the game.

Sometimes it’s just in your DNA. It trickles down from the top, and when these instances keep happening over and over again, it becomes habit.

The Bears have had multiple losses this season that led to leaders huddling in the locker room after to plot a course out of the wreckage.

This time, it was Fields and Edwards: a hometown linebacker and a homegrown quarterback debriefing on what went wrong and what comes next.

“Just finish,” Fields said after the loss. “Like I said, the deep ball [to Scott], he’s just got to lock in and run through that. And defense, that’s hard to – spoke to TJ after the game, he said it to me, like the matter of the fact is we can’t let up 12 points in the last however so minutes there were in the game. Just finishing, finishing, and when it comes down to it, just making plays. So, can’t really explain it. You’ve kind of just got to go out there and do it.”

With six games left, these Bears are all but out of time to figure it out.

When the season ends and the autopsy of a 2023 season that started with unrealistic expectations gets underway, it’ll find the cause of death was a lack of execution brought on by a rot that might be systemic.

A rot that might have to be ripped out to cleanse the foundation of a losing poison that has seeped deep within. The only question then becomes: What’s the cause of the rot?

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Then, the final five minutes at Ford Field unfolded, and the Bears crumpled like a wet paper bag.

Quarterback Justin Fields returned from a four-week absence and made the kind of plays the Lions could only dream of stopping. He tormented Detroit with his legs and made timely and precise throws with a “fresh” arm.

The Bears’ defense turned the Lions over four times, including a forced fumble on a kick-off return.

Everything went the Bears way Sunday until nothing did.

The Bears held a 12-point lead with five minutes to go and wound up losing 31-26.

It’s the second straight year they’ve had the Lions on the ropes only to completely come undone in winning time.

The Bears are 3-8, and a meltdown of this level deserves some harsh truths. But there were undoubtedly some positives to take away from the first 55 minutes of Sunday’s game in Detroit. We’ll start there:

Passing offense

Fields’ numbers won’t light the world on fire. He finished the game 16-for-23 for 169 yards and one touchdown. But he made smart throws and didn’t put the ball in harm’s way. He overthrew DJ Moore for a deep touchdown early but came back and threw a strike on the same play a few quarters later for a 39-yard scoring strike.

“I told DJ I wasn’t going to overthrow him again,” Fields said after the loss.

He felt and looked fresh. There was no apparent rust from his four-game absence.

Fields played free and gave the Lions all they could handle. It’s the type of game that can provide the staunch Fields believers with hope that he can still prove to be the long-term answer at quarterback.

I have no quarrels with that assessment of Sunday’s game. He was good. He did what the Bears asked him to do. Had they not gotten conservative in the fourth quarter, Sunday could have been a statement win for the Fields-Matt Eberflus pairing.

All of that dissolved in five minutes. If we’re handing out blame pie, the passing game gets crumbs, with an early overthrow of Moore and a late missed connection with Tyler Scott serving as the only blemishes.

Justin Fields GRADE: B+
TEAM GRADE: B

Rushing offense

The Bears’ rushing attack has been clicking of late. The return of Fields and running back Khalil Herbert were supposed to ignite the ground attack further.

Fields did his part, rushing for 104 yards on 18 carries, but Herbert and D’Onta Foreman struggled to gain traction against the Lions’ front.

Foreman tried to gut through an ankle injury but left midway through after for 14 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Herbert found little room to work in his return, rushing for just 35 yards on 16 carries (2.2 yards per carry).

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The Bears called Herbert’s number on the game’s key drive, but the back could not find daylight.

Up five with three minutes to play, the Bears needed two first downs to completely ice the game. Even one would have made it hard for the Lions to complete their comeback.

The Bears handed the ball to Herbert on first and second down for 1 yard. Fields’ pass for Scott fell incomplete on third down after the receiver “misjudged” the pass. That pass doesn’t happen if Herbert finds a way.

“I just got to make a play,” Herbert said after the loss.

Team GRADE with Fields: B+
Team GRADE without Fields: D

Pass defense

Lions quarterback Jared Goff entered the game with just six interceptions all season.

He threw three Sunday against the Bears and could have had two more on his ledger if cornerback Jaylon Johnson held on to both his opportunities.

For 55 minutes, the Bears held Goff to under 150 yards, but the Lions quarterback racked up 107 yards and a touchdown in the final five minutes to stun the Bears.

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught eight passes for 77 yards, but rookie tight end Sam LaPorta was held to just three catches for 18 yards.

It was a brilliant effort until it wasn’t. As such, a mediocre mark is required.

GRADE: C+

Run defense

The Bears entered the game with the NFL’s No. 2 ranked run defense, and they looked the part at times.

The Lions didn’t run the ball much Sunday, but they were able to find success when they did.

As a team, the Lions rushed 22 times for 115 yards (5.2 yards per carry) and two touchdowns.

Former Bear David Montgomery ran for 76 yards and the game-winning touchdown to pace the Lions.

That the Lions ran the ball effectively even when down 12 with five minutes to play is a credit to their offensive line and a ding against the Bears’ improved run defense.

GRADE: C+

Coaching

Head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy seemed to have the hot hand early on. Eberflus rolled the dice on multiple fourth-down attempts and was successful.

But when the Bears needed bold decisions late in Detroit, Eberflus opted to take the ball out of Fields’ hands and played conservatively.

It cost the Bears.

NFL teams are 27-3 this season when owning a plus-three turnover margin. The Bears’ loss Sunday is one of the three.

The Bears had no business losing Sunday. But they somehow found a way to let a statement win slip through their fingers despite holding the ball for more than 40 minutes and winning the turnover battle by three.

Unacceptable.

GRADE: F

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The Bears led the Lions 26-21 with 2:51 left at Ford Field. They had dominated the Lions from the opening kick-off and had a 12-point lead with five minutes to play. But after a quick Lions score and two runs for no gain and 1 yard, respectively, the Bears faced a third-and-9 from their own 26-yard line.

Pick up the first, and the Bears would be able to almost salt the game away. Fail, and the Lions would have a chance to break their hearts.

Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy called a play for DJ Moore, but the safety came down in robber coverage, meaning the Bears had the speedy Scott singled up on the outside.

Fields dropped back, Scott beat his man off the line, and the quarterback let the deep ball fly. Scott beat his man but appeared to slow up on his route, and that split second of speed change caused the perfectly thrown ball to miss him by inches.

The Bears punted, and the Lions marched down the field and scored to shove a knife in the Bears’ heart.

The missed connection between Scott and Fields, a difference of inches and seconds, was one of many moments that cost the Bears in a 31-26 loss.

“It was one of those things as a player it’s like OK, especially off of my release, I’m like there’s a good chance the ball is coming my way,” Scott said after the loss. “You feel those things, where you know, it’s one of those things where it’s like it’s my chance to make an impact on this game, especially during that time to put a dagger in the game. You know it hurts that you’re not able to execute in those moments like that, and then it hurts even more to see that we come out with an ‘L.’

“It felt like routes on air. I had a clean release. It felt like a great muscle memory type of route. And ran thinking of, as I’m running, thinking of all my coaching points, looking up and not back at the ball. Easier to track. And Justin threw a great ball. A great ball. Looking up at it, I just kind of misjudged it, I guess, a little bit. It’s just something to learn from.”

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Fields looked sharp in his return from a four-week absence due to a dislocated right thumb. The third-year quarterback finished the game 16-for-23 for 169 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for 104 yards.

Fields chewed the Lions up for most of Sunday’s game. He looked crisp, made quick and correct decisions, and showcased the rare ability that can be an equalizer against teams with more talent than the Bears.

But when the Bears needed one more play, Scott and Fields couldn’t connect. The diagnosis was correct, and the throw perfect, but one or two missteps by the rookie cost the Bears the dagger play in the Motor City.

“It was just one-on-one, he had him beat, and he just misjudged the ball,” Fields said after the loss. “He was running straight and tried to run it like [mimics looking back], and got off balance, and that’s what caused him to kind of lose his speed. You know, he’s a young player with a bright future in this league, and he’ll bounce back.

“If that thing connects, I think that seals the deal, in my opinion.”

The Bears outplayed the Lions for 55 minutes Sunday in Detroit.

But they once again fell apart in winning time. Nothing went right once it looked like the Bears had Sunday’s game in hand.

The missed connection between Fields and Scott is the headliner. But there were also poor decisions on crucial downs by head coach Matt Eberflus, two almost interceptions by cornerback Jaylon Johnson, and a conservative two-minute approach by offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

The Bears made plenty of mistakes with the game on the line. Even so, the win was right there on their fingertips.

All they needed was for Scott to not break stride.

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Their defense forced four turnovers and Justin Fields looked crisp in his return, helping the Bears take a 26-14 lead over the Lions midway through the fourth quarter at Ford Field.

But the Bears have often struggled to finish under head coach Matt Eberflus and Sunday was no different as the Lions ripped off two touchdowns in the final five minutes to stun the Bears 31-26.

The Bears were the picture of complimentary football through three-and-a-half quarters, but let go of the rope in the final minutes.

Fields made good decisions, played free, and showed why many still hold out hope that he can prove he’s Bears’ franchise quarterback. Fields’ unique ability and high-upside talent can be the great equalizer against more talented teams. It was Sunday.

The third-year quarterback went 16-for-23 for 169 yards and one touchdown while adding 104 yards on the ground.

The Bears picked off Jared Goff three times and Chicago forced another turnover on specials teams.

With five minutes left, the Bears were on the way to the most impressive win of the Matt Eberflus era.

Then, it all fell apart.

Here’s what we learned in the Bears’ 31-26 loss vs. the Lions:

What rust?

The Bears saw Fields “improve” throughout the week of practice, but still some rust was expected after a month on the sideline.

It didn’t appear on the first drive of the game, as Fields engineered a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the game to give the Bears a 7-0 lead. Fields went 3-for-4 for 38 yards on the drive while adding 28 yards on the ground. D’Onta Foreman capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Missed opportunities

The Bears’ defense gave the offense multiple chances to take an early two-score lead Sunday, thanks to back-to-back takeaways on the Lions’ first two possessions.

Rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson picked off Jared Goff on the Lions’ opening possession. Fields and the Bears’ offense marched the ball into Lions territory and looked to be on the verge of going up 14-0. But D’Onta Foreman was dropped for a loss of 6 on first-and-10 from the Lions’ 38 and Fields overthrew an open DJ Moore on second down.

The Bears wound up punting.

The Bears’ defense quickly gave the offense the ball back when linebacker T.J. Edwards picked off Goff on a pass over the middle. Edge rusher DeMarcus Walker was in Goff’s face, and Edwards dropped into the passing lane to grab the interception.

But the offense once again couldn’t capitalize. Two plays after Edwards’ pick, Fields hit Tyler Scott for a short gain, but the rookie wide receiver fumbled, and the Lions recovered deep in Chicago territory.

Chicago’s defense had a chance to make another game-changing play to keep the Lions off the board, but it slipped through their fingers.

On first and goal from the Bears’ 8-yard line, Goff dropped back and fired a pass to the left side. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson read it perfectly and jumped the route for what would have been a pick-six. But Johnson couldn’t squeeze, and the pass fell incomplete, giving the Lions new life.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored on the next play from scrimmage to tie the game at seven.

The Bears should have been able to put the Lions on their heels early, but they let them hang around. When you let the better team hang around, it almost always comes back to bite you.

Deflating drive

Trailing 10-7, the Lions got the ball with 1:47 left and promptly moved down the field with ease thanks to Amon-Ra St. Brown.

With Detroit getting the ball to start the third quarter, the Bears’ defense needed to hold the Lions to a field goal on the final drive of the first half.

But on third and goal from the 7-yard line, the Lions went back to their star receiver. Detroit lined St. Brown up in the backfield before motioning him out as the inside slot in a three-receiver set to the right. St.Brown ran a quick curl and created just enough space against linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to make an impressive catch while dropping to his knees.

It was a deflating end to a promising first half for the Bears. Chicago controlled the first half but went into the locker room trailing by four due to an inability to take advantage of the Lions’ miscues.

Third and fourth times are a charm

The Bears trimmed the Lions’ lead to 14-13 midway through the third quarter and quickly gave themselves a chance to retake the lead when Stevenson forced a fumble on the kickoff that linebacker DeMarquis Gates recovered.

The Bears didn’t capitalize on the Lions’ first two turnovers of the day, but this time Fields made sure they found paydirt. On second-and-20 from the Lions’ 39, Fields dropped back and threw a rope down the seam to DJ Moore for a 39-yard touchdown to give Chicago the lead.

The defense gave the ball right back to the offense when Edmunds picked off a Goff pass that was tipped by defensive tackle Gervon Dexter at the line.

The Bears’ offense tacked on a field goal to take a 23-14 lead with 14 minutes remaining.

Bears fall apart

Up by nine, the Bears’ defense didn’t relent, quickly forcing a three-and-out to give Fields and the offense a chance to deliver the final blow.

Fields marched the Bears 70 yards on 10 plays, including a key 29-yard run on third-and-14, to get into field goal range. The drive took 8:45 off the clock and ended with a chip shot field goal by Cairo Santos to give the Bears 26-14 lead.

But the Lions have Super Bowl aspirations and championship teams don’t roll over.

Goff and the Lions’ high-powered offense responded by going 75 yards in six plays, with a 32-yard strike to Jameson Williams cutting the lead to 26-21. The drive only took 1:16 and gave the Lions’ defense a chance to give their offense the ball back with a chance to win the game.

The Bears played not to lose during the game’s critical drive. They handed the ball off to Khalil Herbert on first and second down for no gain before asking Fields to try and bail them out on third-and-10.

To Fields’ credit, he threw a dime deep downfield to Tyler Scott on third-and-10, but the rookie appeared to slow up for a second after he beat his man and the pass barely fell incomplete.

The quick three-and-out gave Goff and the Lions’ offense 2:33 to work with.

That was plenty of time for Detroit’s high-powered offense.

Goff engineered a crisp 11-play. 73-yard drive that took 2:04 off the clock and finished with former Bear David Montgomery plowing into the end zone with 29 seconds left. A two-point conversion gave the Lions a three-point lead with 29 seconds remaining.

The Bears needed a miracle from Fields, but Aidan Hutchinson sacked and stripped Fields on the first play of the final drive. The ball bounced into the end zone and Darnell Wright booted it out of the back for a safety.

A statement win for Fields, Eberflus and the Bears was right there Sunday until it evaporated in the blink of an eye.

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Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who has missed the last two games with a knee injury, is active and will play against the Lions. He joins a defense that recently got safeties Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker back, and added defensive end Montez Sweat at the trade deadline.

This is the healthiest the Bears have been all season.

Quarterback Justin Fields will return Sunday after missing four games with a dislocated right thumb. The third-year quarterback will play behind a healthy offensive line that is getting right guard Nate Davis back. Davis’ return from a high-ankle sprain will shift Teven Jenkins back to left guard and move Cody Whitehair to the bench.

Starting running back Khalil Herbert will also be back after missing five games with an ankle injury. He’ll join a running game that has found its groove with D’Onta Foreman. Foreman, who was questionable on the final injury report with an ankle injury, is also good to go.

“I mean, shoot, it’s just going to be a heck of a group effort,” Herbert said Friday. “We’ve got guys in our room that can take it the distance and punish the defense. One guy goes out, another guy goes in. They’re going to be tired, but we’re going to be fresh. I feel like that’s a lot to defend.”

Second-year wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. is inactive for the second consecutive week after back-to-back games with critical errors.

“If somebody sits down because of penalty or inconsistent play and somebody comes up because they are more consistent, that’s where it is,” head coach Matt Eberflus said of Jones last week. “We are always going to make the best decision for our roster to win the game.”

With three straight NFC North games coming up, the healthy 3-7 Bears have a golden opportunity to make a late run.

That starts Sunday in Detroit against a red-hot Lions team that is fresh off a blistering 41-point offensive performance against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Consider that box checked.

“I thought he improved,” Eberflus said Friday at Halas Hall of Fields’ week of practice. “I thought he got a feel for where he was and I thought he improved every single day. You get that timing with the receivers on the concepts you’re running that particular week. I thought he got his footwork back where it needed to be. And I thought the accuracy was good, got better as the week went. I thought he was good.”

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said Thursday that the biggest challenge of getting Fields back in sync after a month on the shelf was seeing how much the third-year signal-caller is able to handle in his first live-action in four weeks.

“We’re still going through that to see how far he can take everything,” Getsy said Thursday. “The reps are important, and just making sure he feels comfortable and ready to rock and roll is really the most important thing.”

During his four-week absence, Fields stayed locked in and mentally prepared as if he was going to play each week. On Sundays, Fields wore a headset to listen to Getsy call the game and tried to mentally play the game in his head.

With his mind sharp and his body rested, Fields is champing at the bit to return for a key seven-game stretch that will play a role in determining his future with the organization.

After easing back into practice in a limited fashion, Fields and his still-healing thumb are in a good place heading into Detroit.

“It feels pretty good,” Fields said Wednesday. “Just getting back into things. Feels good to throw. Arm feels fresh. Feel good.”

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Two questions remain about Fields’ return Sunday in Detroit.

The first concerns whether or not he will wear anything to support his thumb and aid his grip on Sunday. When he first returned to practice, Fields wore a glove on his right hand but quickly ditched it. He also tried a glove with the thumb cut out and a wrap. Lately, he has just some supportive tape.

“Taped it up today at practice,” Fields said. “We’ll see how it is feeling on Sunday and whether I need tape or not. I tried the glove at first, just because I didn’t have to grip the ball as much with the glove. So but. I didn’t really feel too comfortable with the glove on.”

The second thing the Bears need to determine is how much they’ll balance shotgun snaps versus under center with Fields’ thumb.

“That’s part of the progression of the week, trying to figure that out – what he’s feeling great about, what he’s feeling comfortable with,” Getsy said. “Haven’t narrowed that down ust exactly yet. But feel good about being able to do a lot of different things so far, and he’s handled the week pretty good.”

The Bears went 2-2 in Fields’ absence, with undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent at the helm. Bagent proved to be a capable backup during his month as QB1, but getting Fields back will give the 3-7 Bears a jolt of energy as they prepare for the stretch run.

“There’s an excitement, no doubt,” Eberlfus said. “I think that certainly having our starter back is definitely a boost. You could see the defense getting excited about it and talking to him on the side in the building, and certainly, the offensive guys were excited about it. You could see it in walkthrough how the energy was there. Yeah, definitely could see it.”

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The overhype cup runneth over.

Almost three months later, the Bears enter Week 11 at 3-7, with plenty of questions to answer about the state and direction of their rebuild in the final seven games of the season.

Those questions start with Fields, who has missed the last four games with a dislocated right thumb but is set to return Sunday against the Lions in Detroit.

Can Justin Fields prove he’s the guy?

The Bears’ primary goal for the 2023 season was to get a complete evaluation of Fields. With the quarterback’s fifth-year option needing to be picked up this offseason and the Bears likely to finish the season with two high draft picks, having a concrete idea of what Fields can be in the NFL was a must entering the season.

Fields got off to a horrific start before stringing together back-to-back starts against the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders in Weeks 4 and 5. He entered Week 6 among the league leaders in passing touchdowns, but he threw for just 58 yards while compiling a passer rating of 36.7 in almost three quarters against the Minnesota Vikings before exiting with a thumb injury.

After missing four games, Fields returns needing to string together the best seven-game stretch of his career to show the Bears they should still place their faith in him.

Even if he rips off seven straight high-level performances as a passer to close the season, the die might already be cast as far as Fields and the Bears are concerned.

The 24-year-old entered the worst situation imaginable and has been unable to escape the organizational dysfunction that has consumed countless quarterbacks before him.

He has struggled with accuracy, pocket presence, and dissecting zone coverage. He hasn’t been able to consistently throw with anticipation and has oscillated between positive performances and those littered with throws he either doesn’t see or refuses to make.

Seven games won’t be enough for the Bears to pass on Caleb Williams or Drake Maye if they land a top-two pick via the Carolina Panthers. Resetting their quarterback contract window with a top prospect whom general manager Ryan Poles can hand-pick will be too enticing to pass up for a second consecutive draft.

But seven games of consistent, high-level quarterbacking could allow Fields to keep the flicker of hope alive and perhaps give him one more year in Chicago to show he can reach his potential — but that reality likely only exists if Maye or Williams isn’t in the Bears’ future.

The last ride for the H.I.T.S principle?

Head coach Matt Eberflus seemed like one of the few bright spots of a throwaway 2022 season. Given the Bears ‘ lack of talent, it was hard to gauge his coaching acumen, but the team played hard, didn’t quit, and the staff was good at making in-game adjustments.

Eberflus’ seat warmed quickly this year, thanks to an 0-4 start. He’s 6-21 in his first 27 games, but it doesn’t feel like the winds are blowing in the coaching change direction at Halas Hall.

For now.

Eberflus has the Bears’ defense playing well. The unit got off to a horrid start but has slowly improved over the last six games. The Bears’ defense currently ranks second in run defense and 15th in total defense. In the previous five games, the Bears have only allowed 16.8 points and 264.2 yards per game.

Poles gave a strong statement in support of Eberflus prior to the Bears’ Week 9 game against the New Orleans Saints.

Despite the adversity this season, Eberflus appears to be on solid ground, and a few more wins while continuing to be competitive in losses should keep him safe.

However, if the Bears’ defense regresses and a host of embarrassing losses fill the end of the season, a change of leadership could be in order.

How the final seven games play out will go a long way in determining what the future holds for Eberflus and his staff.

Blindside secure?

Braxton Jones has been honest that he still needs to prove to Poles and Eberflus that he can be a franchise left tackle.

The 2022 fifth-round pick out of Southern Utah struggled with penalties and hand placement early in the season before going on injured reserve with a neck injury before Week 3.

Since returning from injury, Jones has allowed just four pressures and one hit in 66 pass-blocking snaps across two games, per Pro Football Focus.

Jones had two penalties in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints but played a clean game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10. Jones has said he needs to work on not making mental mistakes later in the game as his stamina wears down.

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With the Bears likely to have two picks in the top 10, Jones needs to stay healthy and play at a high level for the final seven games. If he does that, the Bears might feel comfortable with him and Darnell Wright being the bookends going forward.

But if Jones struggles, the Bears will have to take a long look at either Notre Dame’s Joe Alt or Penn State’s Olu Fashanu in the first round of the draft. Even if Jones plays well down the stretch, there’s a case to be made that the Bears should still draft a left tackle early and make Jones a swing tackle.

Jones has a chance to squash that idea during the next two months.

Does All Pro equal extension?

Cornerback Jaylon Johnson and the Bears haven’t found common ground on a contract extension. The fourth-year defensive back got permission to seek a trade at the deadline, but the Bears’ asking price was too high for inquiring teams’ taste.

Johnson has said he’s done negotiating for the time being and wants to focus on playing at a high level and being named an All-Pro. Johnson has said numerous times that if he plays at an elite level and the Bears win, the money will take care of itself.

On the season, Johnson has given up just 16 catches on 31 targets for 141 yards and one touchdown. He has two interceptions, and opposing quarterbacks have a 47.9 rating when targeting him.

Among all NFL cornerbacks with at least 250 coverage snaps, Johnson ranks third in yards allowed, fourth in receptions, eighth in reception percentage, and third in passer rating against.

For comparison, Denver Broncos star cornerback Patrick Suratin has given up 28 receptions on 41 targets for 374 yards and two touchdowns. Per PFF, opposing quarterbacks have a rating of 103.1 when targeting Surtain.

Johnson said Wednesday that he has no doubt he is playing at an All-Pro level.

With matchups against Amon-Ra St. Brown and potentially Justin Jefferson in the final seven games, Johnson will have a chance to cement his Pro Bowl and potentially All-Pro status with a strong finish.

If he continues to play at a top-tier level and achieves his goals, it will be hard for the Bears to rationalize not closing the negotiation gap and inking him to a long-term deal.

Swan song for Mooney?

While Johnson’s lack of an extension gets most of the attention, wide receiver Darnell Mooney is also in the final year of his contract and has yet to make significant progress on an extension with the Bears.

Mooney was a 1,000-yard receiver in 2021, but he has yet to find that level of productivity with this new regime. The season-ending ankle injury he suffered in Week 12 last year played a role, but Mooney has just 814 yards and three touchdowns in 22 games with this regime.

The Tulane product is a good slot receiver who would thrive as a No. 3 receiver on a contending team. The Bears like Mooney, but there doesn’t appear to be any tangible progress in extension talks.

The Bears would probably like to bring Mooney back on a cheap deal. But is that something he’ll be interested in? Can he put together his best seven-game stretch in two years to increase his value and show the Bears he should be viewed as a foundational piece of their rebuild?

Or will Mooney’s time in Chicago end after a Week 18 trip to Green Bay, with a supporting role on a contending team likely waiting for him in the offseason?

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But even the most fervent believers need proof of concept. Belief only gets you so far.

Bagent got that during his four-week odyssey as the Bears’ starting quarterback. With starter Justin Fields injured, the rookie out of Division II Shepherd University went 2-2 while throwing for 859 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions in five games (four starts).

It wasn’t a perfect audition. Those don’t exist in the NFL. Bagent made rookie mistakes and looked overwhelmed at times. He also made a number of impressive throws and showed the Bears and everyone else that he was meant to play in the NFL.

“This is the end-all-be-all, the NFL,” Bagent told NBC Sports Chicago, ESPN, and the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday. “There is nothing higher than this. This is the pinnacle of football. I’ve learned that I do fit in with the best of the best. I had an idea that I did, but I kind of really proved that to myself and, I think, my family members with this experience.

“Kind of just proved to myself what I already I knew. I think I proved a lot to other people but I kind of figured that I was good enough to play at this level but I proved that to a lot of people, family included.”

Fields’ dislocated right thumb has healed enough to allow him to return Sunday when the Bears visit the Lions in Detroit.

Bagent will slide back into the backup role, one he’s infinitely more comfortable in now, after showing the stage isn’t too big for him if he’s thrust into action.

“It just makes me a lot more comfortable in that number two role,” Bagent said of his time as the starter and the transition back. “I think at the beginning, I was comfortable, but just the thought of – you hadn’t taken that first snap live against a non-preseason opponent. Now, I just feel that if my number gets called for whatever reason, I’m going to feel a lot more comfortable, and there’s no nervousness about getting that first snap or anything like that. It’s pretty much all under my belt.”

CHICAGO BEARS

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Spending a month as a starter just six weeks into your first NFL season is invaluable early-career experience for Bagent. It should serve him well as he ramps up his development. It also validated the belief inside Halas Hall that they found a long-term piece of their quarterback room — someone who showed he could be a stable backup option with the potential to become something more.

“We never put ceiling on players, but we certainly like where his floor is because the sky’s the limit for everybody,” head coach Matt Eberflus said of Bagent. “You never want to do that. Guys can grow into certain spaces that they didn’t even think they could. So you have to give them that opportunity, but we certainly like where he is right now.”

Bagent’s four-start run should help create the roadmap for his quarterback development. Bagent showed growth in a multitude of areas between his NFL debut and his Week 10 start against the Carolina Panthers.

He has cataloged and digested the experience. He now has a greater understanding of everything that goes into being an NFL starting quarterback and how thin the margins are at the pro level.

“Just I think I’ve realized how important every little detail is,” Bagent said. “At first, I wanted to just have a broad idea of what was going on every single play and be able to execute it. But just understanding it so much more than that, just understanding how important every single play is. Learned that in the New Orleans game. You can’t play really well for three-and-a-half quarters and then let any plays go. That’s probably the biggest thing. Got to be locked in for all 60 minutes.”

With Fields set to return Sunday, Bagent will drop back out of the spotlight and continue his work in the NFL shadows. He’ll prepare as if he’s the starter and do everything he can to help Fields be ready to operate his best on game day.

He’ll no longer have a nervous feeling standing on the sideline. There’s no longer a need to wonder if the vision he had in his mind would materialize on an NFL gridiron.

He knows that it does. So do his teammates.

“He’s a helluva player,” wide receiver Darnell Mooney said. “He’s going to be back on the field for whoever, wherever. Whatever opportunity comes his way, he’s going to be back on the field.”

“He’s built for this,” tight end Cole Kmet said of Bagent. “He’s going to be successful in this league. I fully believe that just because of his mindset. He’s got the talent and the work ethic, all those things.”

Bagent has always known that. Now, everyone else does, too.

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The third-year signal-caller finally got cleared this week and is expected to start Sunday when the Bears visit the Lions in Detroit.

“I’m really excited. I feel like the longer I was out, the more I was trying to go,” Fields said Wednesday at Halas Hall. “I’m really excited to be back this week and be back on the field with the guys.”

Fields has missed the Bears’ last four games, but the 24-year-old has remained engaged in the weekly game-planning and was “integral” in preparing backup quarterback Tyson Bagent for the rookie’s first extended NFL action.

On game day, Fields wore a headset to listen to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s calls, played the game in his head, and observed everything from the sidelines. He believes that getting a different view will help him in his return to live action.

“Being on the sidelines, I feel like you look at the game with a different perspective,” Fields said, “And I was just kind of seeing the game from a different view. So. Definitely learned a lot from just being on the sidelines and really just looking at the game from the sidelines. Body language. Different alignments and stuff like that.”

Fields watched Bagent closely and said he believes there are things he can take from the rookie’s four-game performance that would mesh well with his own skillset, although he didn’t elaborate on what those things might be.

“So things that Tyson did well, I’m definitely going to try to emulate that, of course, in my game,” Fields said. “But at the end of the day, we’re different quarterbacks. We don’t do the same things. So, but, of course, there’s bits and pieces that we do differently that he did well on the field, and of course, I’m going to try to add that to my game for sure.”

Fields was coming off back-to-back promising performances when he dislocated his right thumb against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6.

The Bears entered this season needed to get a complete evaluation of Fields’ franchise-quarterback potential. Fields struggled in the first three games before finding something in Weeks 4 and 5. But with only seven games left in what looks to be a lost season, Fields doesn’t have much time to solidify his place as quarterback of the future before the season ends.

But it’s enough time to show the Bears that reason for optimism and hope remains.

“I think seven weeks I enough time to show consistency and being the high performer that we expect him to be,” head coach Matt Eberflus said Wednesday. “I know he’s had some good performances along this year, certainly, the last few have been solid.”

CHICAGO BEARS

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The Bears needed to see consistent growth from Fields as a passer in Year 3 to feel good about his long-term prospects of becoming their franchise quarterback. In five-plus games this season. Fields has thrown for 1,201 yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions while completing 61.7 percent of his passes. He was among the league leaders in touchdown passes when he suffered the thumb injury in Week 6.

But Fields also threw for just 99 yards in a Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and had just 58 yards passing midway through the third quarter against the Vikings before leaving with the injury.

The inconsistency has been a big problem. Fields continues to struggle against zone defense, holds onto the ball too long, and hasn’t been taking the easy completions despite that being part of his offseason focus.

The Bears currently are slated to have the No. 1 and No. 5 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. If the Carolina Panthers continue to sink and the Bears’ draft position holds, it’s likely they will draft either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye and start the process of moving on from Fields.

Fields has been dealt a bad hand early in his NFL career. No one can deny that. He hasn’t had the stability or high-quality organizational infrastructure needed to thrive as a young quarterback in the NFL. While that has undoubtedly been to his detriment, Fields holds some responsibility for his inconsistent play as a passer.

What can he accomplish in seven games? Can he do enough to make the Bears pass on Williams or Maye in seven games, three of which will be against teams in the lower third of the league?

“Just go out there and win games. I’m not here to prove anything to anybody,” Fields said. “I’m playing for my teammates, I’m playing for the coaches, and that’s it. Everything else will take care of itself. So I’m not necessarily trying to prove anything to anybody.”

That may very well be true. But these next seven games are vital for the next step in Fields’ NFL journey. Barring a blistering stretch of high-level passing consistency, the Bears won’t finish the season with a clear picture of Fields’ franchise quarterback potential and, therefore, will have to plow forward with only the select information they have on hand.

That’s a dangerous place for a rebuilding team with uncertainty at the sport’s most important position, but the faint flicker of hope in Fields’ future remains alive.

He has seven games to keep it from being fully extinguished by the same cold wind that has wiped out the long list of Bears quarterbacks that came before him.

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The Bears’ third-year signal-caller is acutely aware of the media environment surrounding him. He knows that being the Bears’ starting quarterback means you get a lot of extra noise. It’s a lighting-rod position that creates discussion no matter the time of year.

So, of course, Fields was ready for the predictable quarterback controversy talk that came when undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent won his first career start while Fields was out with a dislocated thumb.

“Yeah, of course, but that’s the world we live in nowadays,” Fields said Wednesday at Halas Hall when asked if he heard the QB controversy chatter. “Everybody wants … everybody wants to cause a stir, cause media attention, boom, boom, boom, comments, stories. So that’s just what comes with it. I knew that was going to happen from the get-go. So it came to me as no surprise.

“But I mean, like I said, 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.”

Fields missed four games with a dislocated right thumb but will return Sunday when the Bears visit the Lions in Detroit.

Bagent went 2-2 in four starts in Fields’ absence and got valuable help from the Bears’ injured starting quarterback each week as they prepped for that week’s opponent.

“I was trying to just be the same leader I was when I was playing, of course helping Tyson out with anything he asked for,” Fields said. “I would write extra notes with scouting reports on DBs and safeties and linebackers and send it to him.”

The Bears’ coaching staff praised Fields for his invaluable work behind the scenes during the week and on the sidelines during gameday to help Bagent.

“He was awesome. He was awesome,” quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko of Fields after the Bears’ win over the Raiders in Week 7. “Put the TV copy on, and you can see those two on the bench, and they didn’t miss a thing. Justin was coming up to me, ‘Hey, take a look at this.’ Going up to [offensive coordinator Luke Getsy], ‘Hey, we got this.’ He was an integral part of that win.”

Fields returns with seven games to go in the season. The Bears entered the campaign needing to get a full evaluation of him as their potential franchise quarterback. After missing a month, these final seven games could be a huge factor in determining Fields’ future in Chicago.

But that, like the quarterback controversy, is just noise that comes with his post.

“Just go out there and win games,” Fields said when asked for his individual goals to finish the season. “I’m not here to prove anything to anybody. I’m playing for my teammates, I’m playing for the coaches, and that’s it. Everything else will take care of itself. So I’m not necessarily trying to prove anything to anybody.”

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But as is normally the case at Halas Hall, the expected solution was the one the Bears reached.

With Davis returning to practice in full Wednesday at Halas Hall, head coach Matt Eberflus announced that Teven Jenkins will move back to left guard, with Davis slotting in at right guard.

Jenkins has been dominant at right guard since Davis went down in Week 6. The third-year offensive lineman said he’s comfortable at right guard, where he played last season, and “found a groove” next to rookie right tackle Darnell Wright.

But in the end, the Bears believe their “best five” has Davis at his normal spot and Jenkins moving positions once again.

“Just a natural position,” Eberflus said Wednesday when asked about the Jenkins-Davis decision. “That’s what Nate has played. And it gives us the flexibility, because Tev has played both sides. Tev has looked good on both sides. That’s just the best operation that we feel for each position experience.”

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With Jenkins moving to left guard, veteran Cody Whitehair is on the outside looking in. The Bears planned for Whitehair to be their starting center this season. He opened the year at left guard with Jenkins on injured reserve. The Bears moved Whitehair back to center when Jenkins returned, but he struggled with snaps and was replaced by Lucas Patrick in Week 6.

Patrick will be the starting center Sunday when the Bears visit the Detroit Lions.

“Those are always hard, when you get back to full strength, and Cody has been a true pro,” Eberflus said of the decision to bench Whitehair. “Obviously a captain here for many years. Had a great long career and is still going to continue to help us as we go. That’s our starting lineup for this week, and you know (snaps fingers) things can happen like that, and he’s back into the mix at center, guard, wherever it might be. We’re fortunate that we have the flexibility to do that — to move Teven to both sides; to have Cody play guard or center. So we’re fortunate that way, and he brings that flexibility to our team.”

There’s a chance that Whitehair could platoon at right guard Sunday. The Bears expect Davis to play the full load, but the plan could change based on where the veteran guard’s wind is upon return.

“We feel that his conditioning level is really good,” Eberflus said of Davis. “That’s what our performance staff is telling us, and that’s what he’s telling us. But again, we got to see it on the practice field. Again, we anticipate him playing the whole way, but if we have to make modifications based on what we see this week, we will do that.”

Assuming Davis has no setbacks this week, Sunday will be the first time the Bears’ planned offensive line (Braxton Jones, Jenkins, Patrick/Whitehair, Davis, and Wright) will have played a snap together this season.

The decision to move Jenkins back to left guard always felt like the route the Bears would go when Davis returned. But it’s risky to move Jenkins and mess with a right side that has been firing on all cylinders over the past few weeks. But Davis has only played right guard in the NFL, and the Bears gave him a three-year, $33 million contract last offseason to play in that slot. They have confidence that Jenkins can dominate on the left side in time, but they are tinkering with something that has worked well over the last month, and that’s always a gamble, no matter the players involved in the decision.

With quarterback Justin Fields also set to return from a dislocated right thumb, the Bears are exiting the mini-bye as healthy as they have been all season and are hopeful that will lead to a strong finish to what has been a disappointing season to this point.

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With Justin Fields expected to return soon and the defense near full health, the 3-7 Bears believe a victory over the NFL’s worst team could be what finally gets the ball rolling.

But with just seven games left in what has been a disappointing season, it’s time for us to focus our gaze on the future of the Ryan Poles rebuild and what life might look like after 2023.

That’s where this edition of the mailbag takes us — into the unknown:

Overreaction? Yes.

I’m going to frame this as “the Bears will want to keep Justin Fields with a new coaching staff.”

I’m on the record as saying I think Matt Eberflus will get at least one more season as long as the Bears don’t completely combust over the final seven games. I don’t think he will be judged at all on the 2022 season. He has dealt with a lot of adversity this season, the defense has improved since he took over the play-calling duties, and Fields has so far missed four games.

If the Bears finish 5-12 or better, I think Eberflus is safe.

But Fields and the Bears’ quarterback uncertainty should play a huge role in Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren’s decision on the future of the coaching staff.

The Bears have made the same mistake with the past two coaching staffs pre-Eberflus. They drafted Mitchell Trubisky when John Fox was on the hot seat. They fired Fox after Trubisky’s rookie season and hoped Matt Nagy could work with the young quarterback. Then, they drafted Fields when the seat was scolding for both Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace. Both Nagy and Pace were fired after Fields’ rookie season and Poles and Eberflus were brought in with a talented but raw asset that they didn’t draft at quarterback.

The Bears are in danger of repeating that mistake for the third time this offseason. Assuming he gets a stay of execution, Eberflus’ seat will be hot this offseason. The Bears likely will have a chance at Drake Maye or Caleb Williams. Are they going to draft another young quarterback to stick with a potential lame-duck coaching staff?

The best way to successfully rebuild is to have a coaching staff and a quarterback that are on the same timeline. The staff picks their guy, and they get time to grow together. If Eberflus and his staff are fired, the Bears should also look to move on from Fields and let the next staff have a clean slate with the guy of their choosing.

Either way, unless Fields lights it up as a passer once he returns, it feels like the Bears will move on from him this offseason. He deserves a fresh start after being saddled with two horrid situations to start his NFL career.

As the Bears look to the future, it’s important the quarterback they choose and the staff are paired up and fully aligned. That hasn’t been the case with their past two swings at quarterback, and it has cost them.

Overreaction? No.

Let’s look at this as: “Do the Bears have a long-term answer at left tackle?”

Braxton Jones has been solid for a fifth-round pick out of Southern Utah. He has impressed at times but has struggled with penalties and mental mistakes this season.

I think the best-case scenario for the Bears is Jones becomes a high-quality swing tackle, and they find an elite blue-chipper to play left tackle.

Those are much easier to find in the first round of the draft. It’s very rare for premium left tackles to hit the free-agent market. Those are the players teams draft, develop, extend, and extend again.

The Bears will have a good shot at drafting a top-tier left tackle prospect with their second first-round pick come April.

This class has two high-quality tackles in Notre Dame’s Joe Alt and Penn State’s Olu Fashanu. Assuming the Bears either go quarterback or Marvin Harrison Jr. with the Panthers’ pick, they could look to solidify the left tackle spot with their own first-round pick.

The Bears do need a center, but those are often found on Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft. If all else fails, they can find a veteran stopgap for a year.

Overreaction? Yes and no.

I say no because I agree with your premise. Teven Jenkins has been the Bears’ best offensive lineman for two years and has dominated since returning to right guard after Nate Davis’ injury in Week 6.

It’s clear he’s comfortable there, and Jenkins himself said he feels like he’s in a groove next to Darnell Wright at the moment. Offensive line coach Chris Morgan and Jenkins have attributed that to the third-year lineman’s comfort level in Year 2 on the inside and his continued growth as a professional.

This Bears regime has moved Jenkins all around, and he has handled it impressively well.

But when Davis comes back, I feel like Jenkins will flip back to left guard, and Davis will slot in at right guard.

CHICAGO BEARS

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Eberflus said he feels like Davis can play both sides, but Davis has only played right guard in the NFL. The Bears signed him to a three-year, $33-million contract to play right guard, so I don’t think they’ll ask him to move when he comes back.

The Bears will keep all their options open when Davis returns, but nothing about this staff’s history with Jenkins says they will work the pieces around him. They see him as their most versatile lineman, and I would expect him to move back to left guard.

Overreaction? No.

If we assume Eberflus stays (I do at the moment), conventional wisdom says changes will be made elsewhere, barring an unforeseen late-season surge.

Alan Williams is already gone, and the Bears’ inconsistent offense falls solely at the feet of Getsy.

Dorsey was scapegoated Tuesday after the Bills fell to 5-5.

In his first 25 games as the Bills’ OC, Dorsey’s unit ranked first in success rate, second in EPA per play, second in offensive points per game, first in red zone EPA per play, and second in red zone success rate.

He’d be a tremendous hire and is someone the Bears should look at if they move on from Getsy but keep Eberflus.

I’m sure Dorsey will be in demand, both at the pro and college level, so the Bears will have to make a compelling offer to land him. Working with either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye is a good trump card should the Bears hold it at season’s end.

Overreaction? More or less

It’s Week 11 and we have reached the “Play General Manager In Madden” part of the discourse.

That tells you how well this season has gone for the Bears.

But these hypotheticals are fun when the team is 3-7, and another “transformational” offseason is on the horizon.

OK, first off, let’s rule out Parsons. Not going to happen. Ever.

The caliber of player the Bears get in return for a trade down, assuming they get one at all, will be correlated to how far they are moving down.

The Giants aren’t going to give up Dexter Lawrence to move up one spot. He’s a 26-year-old elite defensive tackle who is thriving in that defense. If the move is one spot, it’s probably just going to be a draft pick deal.

Minkah Fitzpatrick? The Steelers acquired him to anchor their defense for the next decade. He’s 26 and spearheads one of the league’s best units along with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Don’t think he’s going anywhere.

Jeffery Simmons is an interesting possibility, but the Titans just drafted Will Levis and are unlikely to be in the market to move up for a quarterback.

If you’re looking at teams who will be in the seven-10 range in the draft that will want to come up, it’s the Rams, Falcons, Bucs, Titans, Packers, and Commanders.

I don’t know if any of those teams are as desperate as the Panthers were last season. You can probably rule out a deal with the Packers, and the Commanders look like they have a guy in Sam Howell. The Rams’ cupboard is empty of elite players in the middle of their prime.

That leaves us with the Bucs and Falcons.

Could A.J. Terrell be on the table? The Bears have some good young corners and could still figure out an extension with Jaylon Johnson. Tristan Wirfs is an immediate hang-up from Tampa Bay.

There’s not a ton of obvious options. But we also didn’t think DJ Moore would be on the table. We’ll see what shakes after teams evaluate the quarterbacks come February.

There is a feeling around the league that Jim Harbaugh’s time at Michigan is close to over. Whether or not his path out of Ann Arbor leads him to Chicago is impossible to say.

There will be other job openings. Would Harbaught rather come to Chicago or go to Los Angeles to coach Justin Herbert assuming Bradon Staley doesn’t get another year? What about taking over the Raiders in Las Vegas?

He’ll have options if he chooses to return to the NFL.

As far as McCarthy goes, the answer is no. Harbaugh recruiting McCarthy to Michigan will have no impact on how the Bears attack the draft if he is coach.

Harbaugh signed McCarthy at Michigan because that was his best option at quarterback in that cycle. He’ll likewise go with the best option for himself and the Bears, which would either be Williams or Maye.

I remember when Pete Carroll took the Seahawks job, and everyone thought he would draft safety Taylor Mays because he played for Carroll at USC. Instead, Carroll took Texas safety Earl Thomas because he was the better player.

It would be the same situation.

McCarthy is QB3/4 in this class, and there’s a big gap between 1/2 and 3/4. Bears won’t pass that up because of a college connection.

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Week 10 of the NFL season started with a rock fight between a bad team (the Bears) and the dregs of the league (the Panthers). The Bears won 16-13 in a win that was as much about the future as it was about the present.

Sunday’s action started with the San Francisco 49ers reasserting themselves as a top-tier title contender with a demolition of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Duval. Up in Baltimore, the Ravens rolled over the Cleveland Browns for three quarters before gagging it away in an epic meltdown that might cost them in a tight division race.

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Chargers were bullied by the Detroit Lions, the Dallas Cowboys pantsed the tanking Giants, and C.J. Stroud’s very real MVP campaign took off with an upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Here’s where each team stands after Week 10:

1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-1): Philadelphia has lost the Super Bowl, World Series, and Taylor Swift in the last year. That’s a tough scene, but the Birds are in a good position to redeem the City of Brotherly Love if they can stay healthy.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2): The Ravens, Bengals, and Jaguars all lost in Week 10. Even on the bye, Patrick Mahomes can’t stop winning.
3. San Francisco 49ers (6-3): The 49ers’ defense looked like their defense again in a throttling of the red-hot Jaguars. Put the word out that the 49ers are back.
4. Detroit Lions (7-2): Dan Campbell and the Lions might have single-handedly ended Brandon Staley’s run with the Chargers. At least, Detroit’s 41-point, 533-yard performance should be the final nail in his LA coffin. The Motor City Kitties are for real and are live to get the top seed in the NFC.
5. Miami Dolphins (6-3): The Dolphins are plus-109 in their six wins against teams below .500. They are minus-49 in their three losses that came against above-500 teams. ‘Fins are electric, but they need to show they can beat the cream of the crop to be taken seriously as a title contender.
6. Baltimore Ravens (7-3): The Ravens have lost seven games with Lamar Jackson as their starter in the last two seasons. Per ESPN’s win probability, they had at least a 75 percent chance to win in each of those games. That can’t continue to be a trend in Charm City.
7. Dallas Cowboys (6-3): Dallas has beaten the Giants (twice), the Jets, the Patriots, the Rams, and the Chargers. The Cowboys have lost to the Eagles, 49ers, and Cardinals. Not a sterling resume for a team that fancies itself a Super Bowl contender.
8. Houston Texans (5-4): After beating the Bengals, there’s no good argument for C.J. Stroud not to be in the thick of the MVP discussion. I’m buying all the Stroud-DeMeco Ryans stock.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4): A loss to a red-hot C.J. Stroud won’t shake my faith in the Bengals. This is the third straight season they’ve started 5-4. I expect a similar finish as the last two.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3): Trevor Lawrence has more turnovers than touchdowns this season. The Jags need the “generational talent” to start playing like it if they want to reach their ceiling.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3): Pittsburgh has been outgained in every game this season, and yet, Mike Tomlin has them at 6-3. You can’t fight fate.
12. Cleveland Browns (6-3): Deshaun Watson went 14-for-14 for 139 yards and a touchdown in the second half of the Browns’ comeback win over the Ravens. It’s the best he has looked in a Browns uniform. I need to see more of that before I can elevate Cleveland from “Frisky Team With A Good Defense” to the “Legitimate Contender” category. It’s a positive development, though.
13. Minnesota Vikings (6-4): The Vikings have won five games in a row, Josh Dobbs is playing out of his mind, and they are about to get Justin Jefferson back. Scrap the rebuild. What an unlikely turnaround in the Twin Cities.
14.  Los Angeles Chargers (4-5): I can’t wait to hear how the Chargers’ 41-38 loss to the Lions was Justin Herbert’s fault.  
15.  Seattle Seahawks (6-3): Boye Mafe is one of the most underrated players in the NFL. The second-year linebacker has now recorded a sack in seven consecutive games for the Seahawks. Another draft find for John Schneider and Pete Carroll.
16.  Indianapolis Colts (5-5): I don’t know how the Colts are .500, but I know that playing Mac Jones on Sunday helped.
17.  Las Vegas Raiders (5-5): These rankings will only reflect my feelings on the Antonio Piece Raiders. It can’t be overstated how much that locker room hated Josh McDaniels.
18. Denver Broncos (4-5): Somehow, someway, the Broncos are 4-5 and officially “in the hunt” in a crowded AFC. The Sean Payton effect is in full swing in the Mile High City.
19. Buffalo Bills (5-5): The window may have officially closed for this version of the Josh Allen Bills.
20. Washington Commanders (4-6): Anyone who thinks Sam Howell isn’t the guy in Washington hasn’t been paying attention. The former Tar Heel can sling the rock. Washington is in a good rebuild position with their quarterback of the future already in place.
21.  New Orleans Saints (5-5): Are we sure Jameis Winston isn’t a better quarterback than Derek Carr?
22.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5): Just like that, the Bucs are a half-game out of first place in the NFC South. If all things are equal, I’d rather watch Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans on Wild Card Weekend than Derek Carr and the bones of what Sean Payton left in New Orleans.
23. New York Jets (4-5): Imagine being a member of the Jets’ front office, watching Josh Dobbs ball out while you publicly support Zach Wilson. Embarrassing way to flush a season with a championship defense down the drain.
24.  Los Angeles Rams (3-6): Props to Sean McVay for doing a lot with Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, Puka Nacua, and not much else. The Rams compete for three quarters before the lack of talent catches up to them.
25.  Chicago Bears (3-7): There are a lot of bad teams in the NFL, and the Bears are undoubtedly one of them. But as we parse through the pack of bad, the Bears can at least tout a defense that is playing better and the expected return of Justin Fields. The arrow is pointing up … for now.
26.  Green Bay Packers (3-6): After three decades with a Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm, the Packers now find themselves in a place most franchises frequent all too often: Quarterback purgatory.
27.  Tennessee Titans (3-6): Will Levis has shown promise, but the rookie and his mayo coffee won’t be a fix-all for Tennessee’s broken roster.
28.  Arizona Cardinals (2-8): Ryan Poles and the Bears’ brass might have been Kyler Murray’s biggest fan Sunday. The Cardinals star quarterback returned and led Arizona to its second win of the season, leaving Carolina with the worst record in the NFL through 10 weeks. The Bears are in pole position for the No. 1 pick as we enter the home stretch.
29. Atlanta Falcons (4-6): The Falcons were 4-3 and promptly lost to Will Levis, a fresh-off-the-plane Josh Dobbs, and the Cardinals. They are who we thought they were.
30.  New England Patriots (2-8): The Mac Jones redemption era as a 49ers backup will be a good story, but McCorkle’s time in New England is over. The former first-round pick is a broken, defeated signal-caller, and Bill Belichick should wear most of the blame.
31.  New York Giants (2-8): Every snap Tommy Devito takes is a step closer to Caleb Williams or Drake Maye for the Giants. Not a bad consolation prize for a season from hell.
32. Carolina Panthers (1-8): Can we relegate the Panthers? The number of football atrocities they committed on Thursday night demands an inquisition.

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The season opened with guard Teven Jenkins going on injured reserve and missing the first four games with a calf injury. Left tackle Braxton Jones joined him two weeks later with a neck issue and missed six games. Right guard Nate Davis missed time due to a personal matter and suffered an ankle injury in Week 6. He has not played since.

The starting five the Bears planned to trot out this season has not taken a snap together in 2023. But the unit that has taken the field over the past four games has started to gel, and the right side of Jenkins and Darnell Wright has been a force in the run game.

With Jenkins playing at a high level at right guard in Davis’ absence, the Bears’ staff will face a difficult decision when Davis does return. Do they shift Jenkins back over to left guard and sit Cody Whitehair? Do they shift Jenkins over to left guard, move Whitehair back to center and sit Lucas Patrick? Do they put Davis at left guard and let Jenkins continue to thrive on the right side?

While Davis, who the Bears signed to a three-year, $33 million deal in the offseason, has only played right guard in the NFL, head coach Matt Eberflus believes he has the versatility to change sides if needed. The Bears are leaving all their options open as Davis works his way back from a high-ankle sprain.

“The combinations there are gonna be a discussion that we have to have, for sure,” Eberflus said Monday at Halas Hall. “Nate’s a good player. Cody’s a good player. Teven’s a good player. So it’s a good problem to have. We’ll look at it and put our best five out there that we’re gonna put out there for the Lions.

“I see really all three guys being able to flip and play. We’ve just gotta figure out the best combination, who’s next to who and what gives us the best spot.”

Last week, Eberflus said Davis was in “good spirits,” and in a good spot in his rehab. The right guard has done some running as he works his way back.

Davis got off to a slow start this season but was playing well before his injury in Week 6.

But Jenkins has been dominant since moving back over to right guard. He was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded offensive lineman in Week 9. He continues to show great physicality and nasty in the run game and has been more consistent in pass protection than he was last season.

“I would say I do feel like I’m in a groove,” Jenkins said. “I’m starting to get more comfortable where I’m at and starting to play next to Darnell, so understanding what he wants and what he needs and playing off each other.

“I’m getting my steps down right, hand placement’s good, rolling people off the ball. I’m just moving people A to B. Just stuff that how I want to play (is) showing up.”

There’s no question that Jenkins and Davis are two of the Bears’ best five offensive linemen. When Davis comes back, the Bears just have to decide if that unit is better with a locked-in Jenkins on the right side or a good Jenkins, who is still learning, on the left side.

As Eberflus said, “it’s a good problem to have.” The answer just has to be the right one.

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