PITTSBURGH (670 The Score) -- Before he took the field for the biggest drive in his young NFL career, Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields was smiling. He wanted the football and a chance to do something great.
There was 2:47 remaining in a wild football game, and Fields needed to lead a touchdown drive with the Bears down 26-20 to the Steelers. He did just that, guiding a seven-play, 75-yard scoring series that was capped with a 16-yard touchdown pass to receiver Darnell Mooney that he threw across his body as he moved left.
"You can be that guy who shows up in the big moment,” Fields said. “My mindset was calm."
Fields was nearly the hero of a dramatic primetime game, but he and the Bears came up just short in losing 29-27 to the Steelers. The game was decided by late field-goal attempts, with Steelers kicker Chris Boswell hitting a 40-yard kick with 30 seconds remaining and Bears kicker Cairo Santos missing a desperation 65-yarder as time expired.
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With the Bears’ season on the brink already, this game will be remembered for its crazy turns and questionable officiating, which will be a big part of the discussion the day after. But it was all about the 22-year-old Fields in the bigger picture.
Fields went 17-of-29 for 291 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Beyond his statistics, Fields also showcased great poise. With 2:00 remaining, Fields hit receiver Allen Robinson for a 29-yard strike along the right sideline. Then came his touchdown pass to Mooney, one in which he found space to his left outside of the pocket and made a difficult throw on the spot for a score.
It was the type of drive that quarterbacks author to make a name for themselves in the NFL.
“It was like he was almost hoping to be in this situation,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said. “For him to follow through with that, make those plays that he made, it was a really, really good feeling on the sidelines. When you talk about the growth from him and the offense and just our team in general, that’s a moment.
“In the end, we lost.”
The 39-year-old Roethlisberger, a future Hall of Famer, had an answer for Fields and the Bears as he led the Steelers into range for Boswell’s 40-yard field goal to reclaim the lead.
Fields got the ball back with 26 seconds and gave the Bears a chance with no timeouts, driving them to the Steelers’ 47-yard line. But Santos' streak of 40 consecutive field goals ended when his kick came up well short.
“Honestly and truly, we let those guys down,” Bears linebacker Roquan Smith said of the defense surrendering the Steelers’ late drive.
Fields and the Bears struggled during the first half, recording just 127 yards of offense and one field goal from Santos. But then Fields found his rhythm in the second half, going 12-of-18 for 228 yards and a score. He hadn't thrown for more than 209 yards in any of the first eight games of his career before surpassing that mark in the second half Monday. The Bears finished with a season-high 414 yards of offense.
Fields overcame difficult circumstances of a game that seemed to be lost for the Bears earlier. They trailed 14-0 early in the second quarter and were struggling to move the football consistently. Penalties hurt the offense – some calls were deserved and others were in question – and helped prevent the Bears from finding the end zone until Mooney’s 15-yard run out of a wildcat formation play with 14:17 remaining in the fourth quarter.
In need of a late comeback, the Bears put their faith behind Fields and he gave them everything but the win. He continued a path of significant progress in his rookie season and nearly led a remarkable victory.
Because of what Fields accomplished, this losing effort had a different feel for the Bears. It also inspired hope in what’s to come.
“It just gives not only me but the offense confidence,” Fields said.
“You know we’re on the brink of being a great offense.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
