Chicago Bears storylines to follow in Week 17 matchup against Falcons

Will Getsy finally unleash Fields?

This has sounded like a broken record all season -- will offensive coordinator Luke Getsy allow quarterback Justin Fields to use his full capabilities? For two seasons he has put the reins on Fields, not letting him throw downfield more or moving the pocket to utilize Fields' ability to see the field better while on the run.

Last week against the Cardinals Fields threw 17 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown. However, in the second half, he only threw 10 passes for 35 yards. Yes, his two best targets, wide receiver DJ Moore and tight end Cole Kmet, were hampered by injuries.

Moore hurt his ankle on the second play of the game. He was pretty much a decoy the rest of the way (though he did make a big catch late in the game). Kmet missed the entire second half with a knee injury.

Even with that, the Bears could certainly have thrown more than 10 passes in the second half. Additionally, the same has happened in other games without dealing with injuries. Remember, Getsy had trouble calling plays for Moore early in the season. Moore had just nine targets in the first two games of the season.

This will be a good test for Fields. The Falcons rank eighth in passing yards allowed. However, they rank 11th in passing touchdowns allowed and 23rd in interceptions. While Atlanta is stingy in giving up yards, they will give up some touchdowns and the secondary can be exploited.

At this point of the season the Bears need to have a full idea of what they have in Fields and whether he could be the one who could lead the offense moving forward. Use his skill set and let him throw. He does rank ninth in completion percentage and seventh in passer rating on passes thrown 20 yards or more. He shows that he has the deep accuracy to be successful. Give him a chance to show it some more.