CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- In the middle of a demanding work week that tested the character of the Bears, rookie quarterback Justin Fields read a tweet from Seahawks star Russell Wilson.
It was a reminder for Fields of what led him to this point – and what drives him.
I love adversity.
After each game of Fields’ budding career, he has pointed to his own path and the bumps along the way. He has referenced his struggles with the pressure of stardom in high school, betting on himself by transferring from Georgia to Ohio State in college and the challenge now of becoming the quarterback whom Chicago hopes he can be. This past week, Fields was tasked with responding after an ugly first NFL start last Sunday in Cleveland, one in which his Bears posted just 47 yards of offense and he was sacked nine times.
Fields put his head back down and kept working this week, one that culminated with him leading the Bears to a 24-14 victory over the Lions on Sunday at Soldier Field.
“I truly do love (adversity) because it just brings a whole different person out of me,” Fields said. “And in some ways I’m glad last week happened. I think if we would’ve won last week, it wouldn’t have pushed us as much to get better and practice hard.”
The Bears and the dynamic Fields responded well after their trying week. They totaled 373 yards of offense against the lowly Lions defense – whose weaknesses of course benefited the Bears – and did so with balance and different elements in their game plan.
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Bears coach Matt Nagy relinquished the play-calling duties he covets to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. Though Nagy declined to reveal it during the week leading up to Sunday, the Bears created their game plan with Lazor leading the offense. Against the Lions, they prioritized running the football and mixing in heavy personnel to support an offensive line that previously struggled.
The Bears elected to receive the opening kick – a departure from their typical decision of deferring to the second half – and pounded the rock. Running back David Montgomery carried 23 times for 106 yards and two touchdowns before leaving in the fourth quarter with a left knee injury. The Bears ran 39 times for 188 yards while using the ground game to set up the passing attack. Fields went 11-of-17 for 209 yards and an interception while adding some explosiveness to the offense.
For Nagy, the stronger offensive performance was the culmination of his own challenging week – one that included him asking coaches and players to provide more input in his scheme. As a head coach under fire, Nagy can certainly appreciate a victorious Sunday.
“You always have moments in your life, moments in your career where you get to a point where you understand, where you're at, why you're there, how you're going to get through it,” Nagy said. “And I just feel like as you get to this point, you get to start to see true colors of people, whether it's players, coaches, people outside, family, friends, et cetera. This comes with the territory. I mean, this is -- anybody that signs up to be a head coach is always going to go through times like this.
“I have ultimate trust in a lot of people. When I say that, our players stepped up, and they did a heck of a job of understanding that -- forget me and all that other stuff. They don't care about that. All they care about is making sure we win this game, and that's all I care about.”
Pressed last week on whether he would be the Bears’ play-caller on offense, Nagy continuously declined to reveal his plan. But when Fields led the offense out after the Bears elected to receive, Nagy was listening to Lazor make the calls.
The Bears also didn't announce Fields as their starting quarterback until Saturday evening following a week in which veteran Andy Dalton was a limited participant in practice as he deals with a bone bruise in his left knee. Fields was first informed Saturday evening that he would be starting, he said, though he had prepared for the opportunity with a full week of practice.
The Bears (2-2) united around Fields and each other. They saw their belief pay off Sunday.
“We’re starting to put it all together,” said Darnell Mooney, who had five receptions for 125 yards.
Come Monday, the Bears will return to Halas Hall and begin preparing for a revealing stretch that features upcoming games against the Raiders, Packers, Buccaneers and 49ers. Nagy left open the possibility that Fields could start against the Raiders next Sunday, though Dalton's health remains a factor in the equation.
The Bears see opportunity in the games ahead, but for at least this Sunday, they savored how they responded to adversity the right way.
“I’ve been in tough spots before,” Fields said. “And my mindset was just to bounce back from last week, just to get better and keep pushing.
“That wasn’t us last week. That was one of the worst performances almost in Bears history, so that’s not how we play. I was just happy to see us get back on track this week.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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