Getty Justin Fields has fellow Chicago Bears QB Andy Dalton's back.
Justin Fields would like the boos for fellow Chicago Bears quarterback Andy Dalton to cease, thank you very much.
With over half of the second quarter remaining in Chicago’s second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, fans in attendance at Soldier Field began to grow impatient with Chicago’s inability to do much on offense with Dalton leading the way, and they let their displeasure be known. Chants of “We want Fields” also rang loud and clear throughout the stadium.
“We want Fields” chants now at Soldier Field.
Now boos.
While the majority of fans were likely booing Dalton out of a misplaced desire to see the dazzling rookie quarterback play, some were clearly unhappy about the way the offense was moving — or not, as was the case against the Bills — with Dalton running it. The Red Rifle finished the game 11-17 for 146 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but literally half of those yards came on one play: a 73-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Rodney Adams.
Dalton’s throw to Adams quieted the boo birds, but after the game, both Fields and Dalton were asked about the fan reaction — and they had some interesting things to say.
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Fields: Love the Fans, Not the Boos
The Bears rookie quarterback first pointed out that he recognizes and appreciates the passion displayed by Bears fans. When he was asked after the game if he heard fans chanting his name while Dalton was still in at quarterback, Fields said this:
“Yeah, I noticed it. Of course the fans are awesome. They also have to realize Andy’s a human being too. Andy’s on the field right now, so I really think it’s kind of disrespectful to Andy, them cheering my name out like that. They have to trust in coach to make sure he’s making the right decisions. Just cheer him on, you know? That’s not helping Andy play better, to cheer my name. That’s not doing none of that. My advice to them would be: just cheer whoever’s on the field.”
Trusting in Matt Nagy — a coach who has yet to prove himself capable of orchestrating an NFL offense after three full seasons — may not be easy for many fans of the franchise to give. Trust is earned, after all. Still, Fields is being a stellar teammate in his support for Dalton.
“I feel a sense to be there for my teammates when they need me,” Fields added. “So when Andy’s in the game I’m going to be rooting for Andy and hoping that we put up 100 points a game. But when I do go in, I’m going to try to do the same thing. I think fans have to realize we’re on the same team. We’re all trying to win games and that’s really our main focus. We’re not worried about who has touchdowns, who’s doing this and that. We’re just out here trying to win.”
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Dalton: ‘I Didn’t Hear Any Boos’ After TD
For his part, the veteran signal-caller took his chilly reception at Soldier Field in stride.
“You know, it’s part of it,” Dalton said after the game about the booing. “They wanna see a good product out there. I didn’t hear any boos after the touchdown pass that I threw. So hopefully they’ll be cheering a lot.”
That will be up to him, because he’s right — the fans do want a good product on the field — and Bears fans, especially, are long overdue for a quality franchise quarterback to root for. They finally have one in Fields — and their desire to see him play isn’t going to go away any time soon.
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Justin Fields Has Message for ‘Disrespectful’ Bears Fans