Fields Throws and Grows, Needs to Slide and Survive, Refs Get Wrecked, and Other Bears Bullets

Eat, toss, or share (Pop Tarts edition): Strawberry, S’mores, Chocolate Fudge.

•   Here is the overwhelming sentiment that must be the main takeaway from Monday’s Bears loss to the Steelers:

Forget the loss, Justin Fields proved everything Bears fans thought he could be.

Learn. Grow. Future is bright for the QB.

— Kevin Patra (@kpatra) November 9, 2021

Justin Fields is starting to adjust to the speed of the NFL game. He’s playing with more urgency & it’s been fun to watch the last 2 games.

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) November 9, 2021

JUSTIN FIELDS GROWING UP IN FRONT OF OUR EYES!!!
YOU LOVE TO SEE IT!

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 9, 2021

If I'm the Bears, I'm pretty excited about what I saw from Justin Fields last night. That was the NFL's No. 1 D, and he was playing from behind all night. Showed poise throughout, and made big-time throws when needed to Kmet, Graham, Mooney and A-Rob.

Arrow's pointing up.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 9, 2021

•   To be clear, I’m not discounting winning. And I’m not turning a blind eye to the value of victory. Instead, I am underscoring the prioritization of what matters most. In a year in which the Bears currently sit with a 3-6 record, the thing that matters most moving forward is that Justin Fields looks the part of QB1. We obviously want to see numbers that back it up. And, ideally, we’d like to see thee two paths meet where development leads to winning games. But before we get to that point, we need to see growth and development. And after last night’s game, I would confidently say that we’re seeing both.

•   Just in case you were curious as to how Fields would rebound after the clunker in Tampa, he has bounced back with 614 yards of total offense the last two games. That seems good. Sure, I’d like to see more than 3 touchdown. And it would be nice to see that interception rate tick down. But sometimes, it’s OK to admit you’ve gotta crawl a little before you start walking.

•   In addition to seemingly turning the corner the last two games with his play on the field, it seems as if Fields is taking more ownership of this team in other aspects. For instance, it was nice to hear Fields speak up in defense of his guys:

Justin Fields on the non-calls of roughing the passer during the 3rd quarter: "I said (to the official), 'Big Ben just got that all so I don't know why you can't give me that call.' I just needed him to call it both ways. … It's a common theory. The vets, they get those calls."

— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) November 9, 2021

•   Firstly, I hope Fields doesn’t take a fine for speaking candidly after a defeat. Secondly, if Fields does get a letter from league offices, I hope his teammates pass the hat around and split the bill. Thirdly, I hope folks continue to put the screws to officiating. Because Fields is correct. Other quarterbacks get those calls in their favor all the time. Does the NFL want to protect the quarterback or just some quarterbacks? All Fields (or anyone with multiple working brain cells) is asking for is fairness. If that’s too much to ask from these officials, then get new ones.

•   For what it’s worth, Bengals QB Joe Burrow was recently pointing out how older QBs get those calls. I suppose that you have to earn them along the way. But how can one earn them if they’re laid up in the medical tent because defenders know they can push the envelope on a younger QB?

•   Speaking of old-head QBs, Fields caught one’s eye last night:

Great throw by Fields! 💪🏾

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) November 9, 2021

•   And, yeah, it was this throw:

Submitted without comment, also 🐻tf👇🏻@GBraggsJr23 pic.twitter.com/chjDjJ709l

— Joe Castleman (@sportsnut83) November 9, 2021

•   You really can’t get enough angles, can you?

•   A point worth making — it wasn’t just Bears fans highlighting officiating inequalities:

This is a violent grown man game!!!!!!!!!

Chill out with these damn taunting penalties man. Got damn bruh.

— Will Blackmon (@WillBlackmon) November 9, 2021

The refs are having another rough week.

— Sage Rosenfels (@SageRosenfels18) November 9, 2021

NFL needs to suspend that Ref. He intentionally stuck his butt out ,so Bears player could run into him and then threw a flag.

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) November 9, 2021

So the refs really okay with deciding this one huh

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) November 9, 2021

Fans that complain about officiating are tedious. But, Bears got HOSED twice. No excuses. Refs need to be disciplined for butchering/missing easy calls.

— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) November 9, 2021

Left too much time for the refs.

— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) November 9, 2021

•   That last one made me laugh.

•   With that being said, this is a teachable moment for the rookie QB:

.@ChicagoBears @justnfields v @steelers @minkfitz_21 High Speed Collisions. Yikes. Yo Fields, “wanna see ya play 15 years. Get down. Slide. Protect yourself…just sayin’”. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/MfAWs2jOXS

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) November 9, 2021

•   Tell me you wanted to take a shot at a Hail Mary TD, without saying it:

Justin Fields was asked if he wanted a shot at the hail mary at the end:

"That's not my decision, unfortunately. I wish we could have completed that out rout to Marquise (Goodwin) so we could get it in closer for my man Cairo." (Santos) #Bears

— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) November 9, 2021

•   Whether it was the chuck-and-pray or 65-yard field goal, neither was providing a high-percentage scoring chance. Although, it would’ve been fun to see the Bears put a basketball team out there to see who could box out in a given moment. It’s not as if this team isn’t equipped with size. Chicago could’ve conceivably put out Jesse James (6-7), Jimmy Graham (6-7), Cole Kmet (6-6), and Allen Robinson II (6-2) out there and let the best man come down with a jump ball.

•   It didn’t hit me until the wee hours of the morning, but losing your streak of 40 consecutive made field goals on a 65-yarder is a tough way to go out. But kudos to him for giving it the ol’ college try.

•   I love when players who are out of the game give us this type of inside football knowledge:

This is a sweet vet move by LT Jason Peters on the hard count. Opens his hand to try to get the DL to react to the movement. Looks like they were already jumping offsides but it’s a little thing that OL can do to try to get the DL to jump. pic.twitter.com/I5Q2R1GfXk

— Mitchell Schwartz (@MitchSchwartz71) November 9, 2021

•   Robert Quinn had some stupid penalties, but he is showing he can still get it done when he isn’t lining up offsides:

Robert Quinn goes stab/club to get the blocker leaning forward & off-balanced. Finishes with great body lean & gets to the QB for the sack! #passrush #bears pic.twitter.com/vKojqPGgKT

— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) November 9, 2021

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•   Kris Bryant on the Mets would be a hilarious non-fit. He deserves better:

And the Mets Begin Yet Another Pursuit of Kris Bryant at the GM Meetings – https://t.co/0U86FZdhsM pic.twitter.com/bpeocj9xCg

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) November 9, 2021

•   Get healthy, gang:

Blackhawks Injury Report: Trio of Hawks Miss Practice; Kalynuk Practices with Teamhttps://t.co/aqMbB1qJt7

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) November 8, 2021

•   Been a while since we’ve seen a good basketbrawl:

YIKES – Nikola Jokic Absolutely Blindsided Markieff Morris and Things Got Ugly – https://t.co/mNDTwelNLA pic.twitter.com/6EfxrR6EcS

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) November 9, 2021