Chicago Bears: 5 Players who need to step up vs Steelers in Week 9

Justin Fields, Quarterback

This may sound like a broken record, but if the Chicago Bears have a hope of winning any game, Fields has to be the catalyst.

This is partly Fields and partly the coaching staff. We’ve seen flashes of why he was such an attractive acquisition when the Bears moved up and drafted him. He’s made some incredible passes right on target and he’s used his legs to make big plays.

Last week, Fields had his best game as a runner. He ran 10 times for 103 yards. He had to step up when both Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert went down to injuries.

Williams won’t be playing the game this week. There is a chance, though, that starter David Montgomery returns from the sprained knee injury that kept him away for about a month.

Even with Montgomery back, we don’t know how he’ll play in his first game. That means Fields needs to use his legs again. Using his legs, he could cause the defense to hesitate, and that will be good for him.

The coaching staff needs to finally trust FIelds to make the big play. Too many times, the coaches get conservative in their playcalling after the Bears jump to an early lead. They just try to milk the clock and keep the opponent off the field. Basically, they play not to lose instead of playing to win. They don’t have the trust in Fields to continue to make plays throughout a game.

That means inconsistent play on offense. The Bears need to see what they have in Fields. They need to see how he reacts. Will he make mistakes? Yes, of course, he will, he is a rookie after all. On the other hand, he may also make huge plays that could result in wins.

We saw that in the fourth quarter of last week’s game. On a fourth-and-one from San Francisco’s 22, the Bears went for it. The play broke down, but FIelds ran around and made five Niners players miss him on his way to the end zone. It was a big play and brought the crowd to its feet. That is what Fields does. He makes big plays.

The coaches have to finally realize that and unleash the rookie. Let him do his job and make the plays to help the team win.