After a rough start that saw him almost fumble and nearly throw an interception, Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields scored his first NFL touchdown — and it was a doozy.
Leading the Bears on a 77-yard drive to start the third quarter in the team’s first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, Fields sealed the deal with a nifty eight-yard scramble for a score. After nearly getting dropped in the pocket for a sack, Fields stepped away from the pressure and rolled out to his left, finding pay dirt after eight yards. He was 4-of-4 for 54 yards before capping the impressive drive with the TD run.
You can watch the touchdown scamper below:
JUSTIN FIELDS FINDS PAYDIRT 🔥
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Fields Added Impressive 2nd TD on Following Drive
Fields followed his first touchdown drive up with an equally impressive second drive that spanned 70-yards, capped off by a 30-yard TD pass to tight end Jesse James.
Justin Fields is pretty good at this football thing.
Bears head coach Matt Nagy has repeatedly assured the media veteran Andy Dalton will be the team’s starter, but if Fields continues to play lights out in the preseason, it’s going to become increasingly difficult for Nagy and company to keep singing that song.
Dalton played two series against the Dolphins, going three-and-out in both. Naturally, after watching Fields heat up, fans in the stands at Soldier Field reacted accordingly:
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Twitter Calls for Fields to Start After Calm & Collected Performance
The fans in the stands at Soldier Field weren’t the only ones calling for Fields to take Dalton’s place as the Bears’ starter. Fans and analysts alike took to Twitter to call for the changing of the guard in Chicago to become official already:
Start Justin Fields week one. Andy will understand.
Justin Fields is Andy Dalton’s best chance to win a playoff game
Former Vice President of Player Finance and General Counsel for the Green Bay Packers, Andrew Brandt, encouraged Nagy to shed his outmoded thinking and let the rookie play:
The idea that Lance/Fields/Jones need to sit and learn behind Garoppolo/Dalton/Cam is thinking of the past.
There will be growing pains of course; why not have them now as opposed to later?
Placeholder QBs for top draft picks make no sense to me.
Adapt or die.
Fields finished the game with a pretty impressive stat line, going 14-20 for 142 passing yards and a score while also rushing five times for 33 yards and a touchdown. His completion rate (70%) was impressive, but so was his decision-making and calm in the pocket. He had a passer rating of 106.7, and while he was going up against second-and third-stringers, he also didn’t have any of the Bears’ top weapons, including Allen Robinson, David Montgomery, Cole Kmet and Darnell Mooney, to work with.
Fields showed poise after his early mistakes, playing a flawless third quarter. He extended plays with his legs, scanned the field with his eyes and tucked and ran when he needed to.
The end zone angles give you an appreciation of the eyes and the throw here. Good stuff from Justin Fields.
His second touchdown drive featured an impressive 20-yard run that showcased his elusiveness:
Justin Fields is frequently going to be the fastest dude on the entire field. This is silly ability from a QB. #Bears
Dan Orlovsky, who was panned for his pre-draft criticism of Fields, had nothing but glowing things to say about the rookie after his first preseason game, calling his performance “flawless.”
Just a flawless drive by Fields. Decisive/confident/trusted eyes/made something out of nothing! #JustinFields @ChicagoBears #NFLPreseason
After Fields showed glimpses of his potential, many analysts called for Chicago to let the rookie play with the first-team, Dalton be damned:
@Beardedbrowns69 I’m not worried about preseason. I’m worried about what’s right for the player and team. Fields is a major talent. He’ll help the team far more than Dalton. And he should start sooner rather than later.
This is what preseason is for. When a player dominates, it’s time to move him up and see if that continues.
Playing Fields only with and against backups is a waste of time. Bears need to see him with and against starters in the preseason.
I’ve said this since Fields was drafted. Andy Dalton isn’t winning the Bears anything. It’s a wasted season to let him start. Start Fields, let him learn from mistakes this season and get excited for 2022.
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Twitter Reacts as Bears QB Justin Fields Scores First NFL TDs: [LOOK]