Fields on Vikings defense, taking more shots downfield |
CHICAGO - Last time the Bears played the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback Justin Fields dislocated his thumb and missed five games as a result. Now that he is back, he has a chance to play a full game against them and get a win against a division opponent for the first time since Thanksgiving of 2021 against the Detroit Lions.
Playing Detroit this past Sunday, it should have been the first division win in two years for Fields and the Bears. The defense had four turnovers and only allowed 14 points through four quarters. The offense was only able to get 10 points off of those turnovers; it could be argued that points off turnovers decided the game. While they blew that game, Fields is excited about the opportunity to face the Vikings in primetime this coming Monday (7:15 p.m./ABC and ESPN). “I think for the most part, we showed you we (are) until the end of the game. But, focus on finishing better and finishing out the game when it counts. When a drive comes up, making that big play when it matters,” Fields said. “But, we’re definitely excited for this opportunity. The Vikings, they’ve been playing great these past few weeks. So, definitely excited for the opportunity we get to have them Monday night, get to go out there and ball out.” The biggest threat defensively going against Minnesota is defensive end Danielle Hunter. Hunter is having the best season of his eight-year career. Through 11 games, he already has 12 sacks and leads the league in tackles for loss with 16. He also has three forced fumbles, which ties a career-high. Fields said that Chicago will have a plan for Hunter going into this game, although they were not able to prevent him from getting two sacks last time they played the Vikings. “(Hunter)’s been doing his thing this year, balling out this year. So, definitely got to have a plan for him and just making sure we know where he is at all times,” Fields said. “He’s been playing exceptionally well this year. So, like I said, we’ll have a plan for him.” Rookie wide receiver Tyler Scott had a rough game against the Lions this past Sunday, including a lost fumble, which was the only turnover of the game for the Bears. Scott has only played 38% of offensive snaps and 19% of special teams snaps, but Fields states that he has not lost confidence in this fourth-round rookie out of Cincinnati. “If the receiver’s open, I’m going to throw him the ball and if he drops it, that’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, I’m going to go back to him,” Fields said. “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 - offense, special teams. And he’s a speedster. Not a lot of DBs can keep up with him.” Going forward with the rest of the season, one thing Fields would perhaps like to do more is take shots down field. So far this season, he has missed a number of different chances thus far. Still, he sees that as a strong suit of his and perhaps that should be incorporated more into the play calling. “I feel like deep ball, just in general, is kind of what I do my best to be honest with you. I throw the ball down the field exceptionally, I feel like it’s one of my strengths and I’ve been doing it since high school, college,” Fields said. “So, I think it’s one thing that I do best and one thing that I am able to keep doing.”
