At this point, the most convincing rationale for not starting Justin Fields Week 1 is his health and safety behind the Chicago Bears OL. It cannot be because Bears coaches believe Andy Dalton actually gives them a better chance to win.
Not after watching four weeks of training camp and two preseason games, including Saturday’s pitiful performance against the Buffalo Bills. Sure, the Bears’ floor is lower in 2021 with Fields than Dalton. But the ceiling is way, way higher.
Justin Fields ceiling matters for nothing if he gets injured because of a bad OL
But none of that matters if Fields’ rookie season is a reboot of Joe Burrow’s first year in 2020. The Bengals had a terrible offensive line last year, and Burrow couldn’t get out of his rookie season without reconstructive knee surgery.
The Bears have a terrible offensive line this year — so bad, in fact, that the organization had to coax 39-year-old Jason Peters out of retirement to play left tackle — and Fields couldn’t get out of his second exhibition game without a near-decapitation.
Justin Fields got absolutely DESTROYED by this hit. pic.twitter.com/73fWgfDO1b
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) August 21, 2021
Thankfully, it was only his headgear that went flying when the third-string linebacker blasted Fields’ jaw with the crown of his helmet. Fields had his back completely turned to the right side of the line and paid the price with a vicious, illegal hit.
“I’m glad he’s OK,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said. “It’s scary when you see the helmet fly off. Justin’s a tough guy.”
Fields took his fair share of hits on Saturday
Tough, yes. But not indestructible. By the end of the Bills’ blowout victory, Fields was in some pain. He was sacked twice in 25 drop-backs. And of the 12 quarterback hits absorbed by Dalton and Fields, the rookie took more than his fair share.
Part of that is on him. He needs to process and get the ball out faster.
But his willingness to hold onto the ball and let plays develop are also part of what makes him so dangerous.
Fields’ 46 rushing yards were three times more than any other Bears player had. And while his stats Saturday — 9 of 19 for 80 yards — weren’t impressive, his receivers failed him on at least two would-be big plays.
Will Matt Nagy stick with Andy Dalton as the starting quarterback?
Dalton, meanwhile, was one fluke touchdown away from an afternoon more reflective of a guy about to be cut than a guy who’s a no-doubt Week 1 starter.
If promising Bears receiver Rodney Adams hadn’t plucked the pigskin off Bills cornerback Siran Neal’s head on a deep sideline pass, or if safety Damar Hamlin had continued running instead of stopping when he thought the play was doomed, Dalton would not have gotten credit for literally half of his 146 passing yards Saturday.
In his other 16 attempts, he averaged 4.3 yards per pass and threw a bad pick that led to late-half points for the Bears.
Even with that stat-line enhancing touchdown, Dalton’s passer rating this preseason is 91.3. But the metric that best demonstrates how ineffective Dalton has been this summer: In his nine possessions, the Bears have managed only four first downs.
No possession has gone more than six plays. And six of his nine possessions have covered fewer than 10 yards.
Bad times, no doubt.
Nevertheless, head coach Matt Nagy reiterated that Dalton will be the Week 1 starter, stating: “We need to see him in the regular season.”
Mitch Trubisky superb against his former team
Those bad times were made even worse by the superb play of Mitch Trubisky, who lit up his former team for 20 completions and 221 yards on 28 attempts. Trubisky, dropped by the Bears just four years after they took him No. 2 overall, looked reborn in his return to Soldier Field.
“I just wanted to play well,” Trubisky said. “… I knew people would be talking about it and hyping it up, but it was important for me to come out and show my teammates that I can play ball.”
Adam Beasley is the NFL Insider for Pro Football Network. You can read all of Adam’s work here and give him a follow on Twitter @AdamHBeasley.