Chicago Bears losing faith in Justin Fields after ugly Commanders loss?

The Chicago Bears might have thought they could get back on track by playing the struggling Washington Commanders. Instead, they embarrassed themselves in front of a primetime audience.

The Chicago Bears went into their primetime game against the Washington Commanders with some troubles. They lost two games in a row. The offensive was struggling, though it did have a nice second half against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. The defense didn’t seem to be able to play two good halves consecutively.

However, Chicago felt they could cure some of what ailed them in Week 6. They faced a Commanders team that was reeling. They were losers of four straight games. After quarterback Carson Wentz threw an ugly interception in the end zone that sealed a loss last week, it seemed that Commanders head coach Ron Rivera threw him under the bus.

Then, mere hours before the game, a report about Washington owner Dan Snyder apparently acquiring dirt on NFL owners and commissioner Roger Goodell. Snyder already has a history of having a toxic work environment.

This was a perfect situation for the Bears to have a good game and come away with a victory, right? Well, it was a huge wrong. The Bears fell flat on primetime television and had a frustrating 12-7 loss. For a team that found a number of ways to lose games, the Chicago Bears found another way to lose.

After the nice second half against the Vikings, people were wondering if the offense was finally getting back on track. Instead, the unit reverted back to its Matt Nagy ways.

With only seven points scored Thursday night, Chicago now averages 15.5 points per game, ranking 29th (that ranking will get even lower once the other teams play on Sunday). Last season, the struggling offense was able to put up 18.3 points per game. That ranked 22nd.

Chicago Bears offense struggles in the red zone…again

One of the most frustrating aspects of the offensive struggles for the Bears is their red zone conversion. They rank 24th in red zone touchdowns.

That trend continued on Thursday night. The Chicago Bears hit the red zone three times against Washington. They not only scored zero touchdowns but also came away with zero points. Those trips ended on an interception on a throw by Justin Fields that hit a Commanders defender’s helmet, a failed fourth down attempt on the one-half yard line, and a completion at the end of the game that fell inches in front of the goal line.

In order to raise their scoring average, the Chicago Bears need to get into the end zone. The only touchdown scored by Chicago in the game came on a 40-yard completion to Dante Pettis that Fields made while under extreme pressure.

Speaking of pressure, Fields was sacked five times. He has now been sacked 23 times. Thursday night was the third time Fields was sacked five times or more.

It wasn’t all on the offensive line. There were times when Fields didn’t see the open receiver. He has to realize that at the professional level his receivers won’t be as open as they were when he was in college. He has to trust that he can make the throw and that the receiver will catch it. He still isn’t comfortable unless the receiver is wide open.

Don’t get it wrong, however. The offensive line did struggle as well. Left tackle Braxton Jones was taken to school. Montez Sweat bull rushed him and manhandled him all game long. These are things you expect when you have a rookie in such an important position.

In addition, the line as a whole did not get a lot of push, especially on that fourth-down play at the goal line. They were mere inches from a touchdown but they got pushed back and the play got blown up quickly.

Do the coaches feel Justin Fields is the guy?

The play-calling on Thursday left something to be desired as well. It seemed that Luke Getsy was finally getting into a rhythm with calling a game with Fields after the Minnesota game. He called some nice screens and curls, some short to medium high-percentage passes. That made Fields comfortable and confident.

For some reason, however, Getsy did not do that against Washington. Getsy used running back David Montgomery well last week. Montgomery was effective catching passes out of the backfield. He was the Bears’ leading receiver with 62 yards. He was targeted four times and caught every target.

On Thursday night, though, Getsy’s offense targeted Montgomery just one time (he caught it for 13 yards). It is confusing why Getsy went away from Montgomery when he was so effective and helped Fields a great deal.

Getsy also went away from moving Fields out of the pocket. The analysts on the telecast were confused as to why there weren’t more roll-outs and called runs. Fields is deadly accurate when he rolls out or when he throws on the run. Why Getsy doesn’t call more of those plays is beyond confusing.

There are whispers that are growing louder that this new regime isn’t sold on Fields as the franchise quarterback. while that thought seemed absurd a few months ago, it is making more sense now. The play-calling is very confusing. It seems that Getsy and head coach Matt Eberflus are trying their best to make Fields a pocket quarterback. That isn’t who FIelds is, though. He is an athletic quarterback who is better on the run. Additionally, if you move the pocket he is protected more. He buys some time and that helps the offensive line.

However, Getsy goes away from that and, as a result, Fields is getting battered. There were times when Fields took big hits and was slow to get up. He did finish the game but I am sure he hit the ice bath hard after the game.

It is amazing that this is happening. Fields’ development is supposed to be the top priority. It should be unless the regime feels that Fields isn’t the guy.

Remember, Ryan Poles did not draft him. He could have a different feeling about Fields than former general manager Ryan Pace had. That is one explanation for why Poles did not get more help for Fields on offense.

It is difficult for a young quarterback to get into a groove. Throw in a struggling offensive line and receivers having trouble gaining separation and the battle is even harder to win.

Fields has already gotten some criticism over his play this season. More fans are questioning whether he is the guy to lead the rebuild. If it continues, then it makes it easier for Poles and company to move on from him.

Something has got to give. Yes, the struggles the Bears have are to be expected, considering the lack of talent on the roster. Additionally, the play-calling is to Fields’ detriment.

The Chicago Bears don’t play again until they have another primetime game in a week and a half (Oct 24th). There will be a lot of negativity surrounding the team after this ugly loss. Hopefully, they find a way to make some adjustments during this mini-bye to help Fields and the offense improve. What we are seeing and questioning is the same as what was happening under the previous regime.