LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Justin Fields ended the Bears’ 35-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills with soreness in his left leg and a bruised left shoulder.
With Fields struggling with discomfort and the offensive lineup around him in constant flux, some wondered whether head coach Matt Eberfleurs would opt to play the second-year quarterback for the team’s final two games. suspension. Cheerful members of the Bears’ tank brigade hoping for the No. 1 pick spent their Christmas break hoping the Bears made that decision.
But wishful thinking is what it is.
On Monday, Eberflus announced Fields was healthy and available for Sunday’s Week 17 game against the Lions in Detroit. As for the idea that the Bears would shut down a healthy Fields, Eberflus took a disruptive approach to the idea.
“Absolutely not,” Eberflus said on Monday. “Because we’ve got to get better. We want to improve. We want to see where we are. The last two games are important. They’re our division rivals, they’re very important for our football team, look at the game, Look at the players competing with our division. I think it’s important for everyone, it’s important for every unit, it’s important for our entire football team.”
With the Houston Texans’ Week 16 win over the Tennessee Titans, the Bears are back at No. 1 overall. A win for the Texans combined with two losses for the Bears to close out the season, and Chicago will have the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
While the asset could help jump-start the rebuild ahead of Eberfrus and general manager Ryan Polans, the Bears head coach sees value in Fields and the rest of the young Bears, who could win the final two. games.
“I’m going to see the value in that because we have to learn how to finish the game,” Eberfoulos said.
“They’re getting closer and closer to really understanding how to finish the game, and you end up with the execution that dictates the game. That’s what you get done. You finish the game in those moments that make a big difference in the fourth quarter, we execute. And for me Say, the next two games and that’s it. To be able to execute in those game-defining moments, those big games, and get it done. For me, that’s going to be important for the future.”
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The Bills did a good job of containing Fields on Saturday, making sure he didn’t come out of the pocket and hurt them with his leg. Buffalo held Fields to 11 yards on seven carries and underscored how little help the 23-year-old quarterback had around him.
Fields’ foot was stepped on in the loss to the Bills. He still couldn’t handle the weight after the game, but said he’ll be “ready” for Sunday’s game against the Lions. As for his left shoulder injury, Fields said he’s been told it’s going to be a “nagging” issue for the rest of the season.
Fields’ rise over the past nine games puts the Bears in a good place to rebuild going into a crucial offseason. But he’s still in the early days of a quarterback’s education, and NFL game reps are invaluable to young quarterbacks.
The Bears aren’t going to give up those reps. Neither should they.
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