Justin Fields Turns a Corner: Steelers 29, Bears 27

What can I say about that game except — hey, at least it didn’t end on a doink!

In fact, had this game ended 1 minute, 46 seconds earlier, this would have been the parting shot:

Instead, this one went a full 60 minutes. And the Steelers took advantage of it, with Chris Boswell drilling a 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds left in the game. It turned out to be the game-winner, as Cairo Santos’ 65-yard try fell well short. That kick might was a a microcosm of what this comeback was for the Bears — a valiant effort that didn’t have enough mustard on it.

That’s a shame, too. Because Justin Fields did some thangs.

•   If you’ve been waiting for Fields to turn a corner, I think the last two games have provided evidence of it taking place. Because after showing signs of life last week against the Niners, Fields doubled up with his performance against the Steelers. It was a career-high 291 passing yards, that came with a career best 10.0 yards/attempt (min. 20 throws).

•   And it’s not like he was dumping it down in the flat all night, either:

•   The touchdown above can’t be replayed enough, so I’d encourage you to hit play on the video a little north of this text, watch it again, and you can re-visit the rest of this post at your leisure. Are you back yet? Cool. Here’s another angle to drool over:

•   In addition to his exploits throwing the ball, Fields came up with 8 carries and 45 rushing yards. The tag team of Fields’ throwing talent and what he can do with his legs has through-the-roof potential. It would be nice to see some more designed runs. But it would also be neat if Fields wouldn’t open himself up to taking some hits. Having the bye week come now provides an opportunity for Fields to press the reset button, draw from his learning experiences, and put it through his head that sliding is OK. So is getting out of bounds. Live to see the next play, so you can make magic happen elsewhere.

•   Welcome to the party, Cole Kmet. In Pre-Gamin’, we were politely asking to get more involvement from the tight ends. Ask and you shall receive. Kmet was targeted eight times, turning that into a six-catch, 87-yard performance. Easily his best work as a pro. Good to see the second-year product enter the bye on a high. Also quite nice to see Jimmy Graham get into the action. The box score says Graham caught one pass for 28 yards, but the officiating (yeah, I know…) took away a touchdown from the veteran tight end. It felt like a ticky-tack call on a night that was full of ’em.

•   I don’t mind playfully ribbing the NFL’s officials. They’re humans, so I expect them to miss calls. But so many came against the Bears. And a good chunk of them came at inopportune times for Chicago, which happened to be timely to help Pittsburgh in its efforts. To be fair, those neutral zone/offsides penalties are inexcusable. You’ve gotta know where to line up. And on the one hand, I can’t excuse sloppiness. But goodness, there were enough misses to make me think it could’ve cost this crew a shot at getting a postseason game.

•   Even James Harden thinks Tony Corrente leaned into the flop here:

•   Penalty count: Bears 12 for 115 yards. Four penalties gave Pittsburgh first downs. On the other side, the Steelers had 5 for just 30 yards. But two of those gave Chicago a first down. One of those came on a Fields hard count. Nice to hear the rookie fool an experienced D-line.

•   Guess we’ll need to keep an eye on this:

In the end, it’s a Bears loss. That make four-in-a-row. And this one drops the Bears to 3-6 on the season. They’ll go on their bye week, which I imagine will feature some soul-searching, healing, and hopefully, some adjustments for the final stretch. We should do the same. Whether it be as fans or content creators, we could all do well by taking advantage of a period to create a clean slate.

In the meantime, we can sleep on Monday night knowing Justin Fields just gave us reason to believe in a brighter future. And that’s what will matter most after the Bears flip the page to the bye week.

(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

written by

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

more bears news

Rome Odunze Has a Visit With the Bears Coming Soon

If you aren't already familiar with Rome Odunze's name or game, your time will come. The University of Washington wide receiver is one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. At this point of the year, I've officially...

Matt Eberflus Opens a Window to the Chicago Bears Draft Plans

NFL coaches are notoriously tight-lipped. And in his first two seasons as Bears head coach, Matt Eberflus has been no different. But every once in a while you'll catch Eberflus peel back the curtain and provide some insight regarding the...

What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

D-Line Thoughts, Caleb, GM Seth Rollins, Pack Votes No, and Other Bears Bullets

Cubs and White Sox opening day is today today. March Madness resumes with the Fighting Illini playing in the Sweet 16 later tonight. SIU, my alma mater, is reportedly hiring a "Coach Nagy" to lead its basketball team. And what...

Dan Campbell is Happy To See Justin Fields Leave the NFC North

There was no escaping the mixed emotions from Chicago Bears fans when the Justin Fields trade went down earlier this month. But there were none of that from Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell. Heck, I'd argue there was just...

Another Pass Rusher Signs Elsewhere: Jadeveon Clowney Lands With the Panthers

Another day. Another pass rusher signing. And another defensive lineman going to a team that isn't the Chicago Bears. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was the first with the news of Jadeveon Clowney signing with the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, ESPN's...

Malik Nabers Might’ve Run His Way Out of the Chicago Bears Draft Spot

Today was LSU's Pro Day and Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles was scheduled to be in attendance, per The Athletic's Adam Jahns. Assuming Poles made his flight, he got a good look at the likes of quarterback Jayden Daniels, as...

Goodell on Bears Stadium Deal, No to Hard Knocks? More Old Friends Go to Steelers, and Other Bears Bullets

I keep forgetting that I have a Starbucks gift card from Christmas that has gone unused to this point. Maybe I'll remember it next time I go out for coffee. A big shout out to PFF Brad, who made the...

Ryan Poles Was Pissed Off By RGIII’s Comments About Caleb Williams Situation

When I saw them pop up, RGIII's comments suggesting Caleb Williams pull an Eli Manning and refuse to play for the Chicago Bears were met with an eye-roll, audible groan, and immediate dismissal before moving onto more pertinent topics. But...

Bears Stadium Update: Kevin Warren Reiterates Plans to Build in Downtown Chicago

It sure is starting to sound like Arlington Heights fumbled the bag when it comes to locking in Arlington Park as the future home of a Chicago Bears stadium. While meeting with the media at the NFL owners meetings in...

Latest News

Diamondbacks vs. Rockies: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

In their season opener on Friday, Corbin Carroll and the Arizona Diamondbacks take on Nolan Jones and the Colorado Rockies, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET at Chase Field.Keep reading to find out how to watch the Arizona-Colorado...

Guardians vs. Athletics: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

Logan Allen will take the mound for the Cleveland Guardians when they square off against starter Ross Stripling and the Oakland Athletics in their season opener on Friday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.Find out how to watch the...

How to Watch Mariners vs. Red Sox: Live Stream or on TV

In their season opener on Friday, Julio Rodriguez and the Seattle Mariners play Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET at T-Mobile Park.Keep reading to see how to watch the Seattle-Boston matchup...

How to Watch Padres vs. Giants: Live Stream or on TV

Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres (2-1) host Jorge Soler and the San Francisco Giants (0-1) on Friday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.The article below will provide you with everything you need to know to watch...

Dodgers vs. Cardinals: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

The St. Louis Cardinals (0-1), led by Paul Goldschmidt, visit Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2-1) at 10:10 PM ET on Friday.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to watch Los Angeles play St. Louis...

OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

Astros vs. Yankees: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Houston Astros (0-1), with Cristian Javier on the mound, will host the New York Yankees (1-0), who will send out Carlos Rodon, at 8:10 PM ET on Friday.If you're trying to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and...

Rays vs. Blue Jays: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Toronto Blue Jays (1-0), led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., visit Yandy Diaz and the Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at 6:50 PM ET on Friday.Find out how to watch the Tampa Bay-Toronto matchup below.When is Rays vs. Blue Jays and...

Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

more bears news