Justin Fields on his future, love of DJ Moore |
CHICAGO - This is perhaps quarterback Justin Fields’ last year with the Bears. With only five games left in his third season, he only has seven career wins. He missed five games with a dislocated thumb, where rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent filled in and won two games. Since the Bears also seemed poised to get the No. 1 overall pick, Fields’ job is far from secure.
But that is not something he is currently focused on. “Me, personally, I’m just focused on what I can control, and the rest is in God’s hands. Really, you just put everything in God’s hands, you know it’s going to turn out good for you,” Fields said. “So, 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. Really just football-wise, life stuff in general, I think my hope in God is just so much more than everything that can be thrown at me on this Earth.” Particularly when you have an elite receiver like DJ Moore, it is paramount to have a good quarterback who can get the ball to him. However, that is one area Fields has done well in - getting Moore the ball. He is already over 1,000 yards and is on track to tie for second Alshon Jeffrey from 2013 in franchise history for most receiving yards in a season. “The kind of guy he is, (Moore) came in with kind of quiet a little bit, this and that. But, 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,” Fields said. “So, I love him as a teammate, I love him as a person, and he’s just great to have on the team.” Despite the chemistry Fields and Moore have developed, Bagent proved that Moore can still get the ball with a different quarterback at the helm. Bagent also seemed to shine a light on tight end Cole Kmet following the Las Vegas Raiders victory, and Fields has kept that up since returning. While Bagent clearly has a lot to work on, he did present himself as a clear option for a backup quarterback. For now, the focus is on defeating the Detroit Lions in their rematch. Last year was one of those games Chicago should have won. But now, with the Bears facing elimination from the playoff contention, the stakes are higher than ever. If Chicago loses one more game, they are not going to make the playoffs, as that would guarantee another losing season. In order to win this game, the Bears must put up a lot of points as they did the first time they faced off against the Lions. However, this time around, the offense will need to get more points off turnovers, as 10 points off four turnovers is not how a winning team capitalizes on opportunities like that.
