This is a rebuilding season for the Chicago Bears, which was cemented when the team traded away defensive end Robert Quinn and linebacker Roquan Smith ahead of the deadline last week. While they haven’t been winning very many games recently, as they have lost five out of their last six games, there have been some very encouraging signs of progress.
Ownership and the front office have to be ecstatic about how Justin Fields and the offense have looked for the last five games. After some rough outings at the start of the season, they look to have turned a corner.
Fields has been dynamic with the ball in his hands as the coaching staff has made a concerted effort to play to his strength, which is his rushing ability. The team is calling more running plays for him and you can see his level of comfort on the field is improving, which means he is also playing at a higher level.
He is an exceptionally gifted athlete and that has been constantly on display since Week 5 this season. Just how good has Fields been during this stretch? According to PFF, Fields has the highest rushing grade with a 93 in the NFL from Week 5 on. He has also converted an insane 31 first downs with his legs in the five games for the Bears.
Some teams don’t get this level of production on the ground from their running backs, let alone quarterbacks. Against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9, Fields set a regular season record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game with 178, breaking the record previously held by Michael Vick.
That included a 61-yard touchdown scamper his skill and athleticism were on full display. In the five games, Fields has rushed for 455 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, he now has 602 rushing yards, which puts him in 10th place in the NFL.
While the passing game is still a work in progress, Fields has shown steady improvement in that area as well. In the same time span, he has thrown eight touchdowns compared to only two interceptions; in the first four weeks of the season, Fields had only two touchdown passes compared to four interceptions.
Fields has already led the Bears to more wins this season than he did as a rookie. Things are certainly looking up in the Windy City as Fields is showcasing some jaw-dropping talent. The addition of Chase Claypool ahead of the deadline was a nice first step to improving the weapons around him as Chicago will have the draft capital and cap space to make a splash at the wide receiver spot this offseason.
