Patriots Defenders Admit They Had No Answers For Justin Fields
The Chicago Bears stunned the national public on Monday night. Not only did they go into New England and beat the Patriots, they beat them up. People could understand Buffalo doing something like that. Not the Bears. Everybody predicted Chicago would lose, and most thought they’d lose badly. So when the score read 33-14 at the final gun in favor of the visitor, Patriot fans were stunned. What made it even crazier was how well Justin Fields played.
Bill Belichick eats young quarterbacks alive. So for Fields to amass over 179 yards passing, 82 rushing, two touchdowns, and a respectable 85.2 passer rating can’t be understated. He was excellent throughout most of the game. If some people aren’t ready to accept such truths, they need only ask Patriots defenders. Pro Bowlers Matthew Judon and Devin McCourty admitted to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune after the game that Fields gave them a lot of problems. Him and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.
“We gave him third-and-long and it seems like he would just find a running lane and pick it up with his feet or make a throw,” Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon said of Fields. “I think he was just keeping the chains moving. We kind of had no answers for him.”
Safety Devin McCourty suggested the Bears borrowed from Baltimore’s game plan from Week 3 when the Ravens came in and won 37-26 with QB Lamar Jackson carrying 11 times for 107 yards and a touchdown.
“Throwing, dropping back, scrambling, more designed runs than we saw on film,” McCourty said. “I think with the extended time, they added some plays I think we saw in the Baltimore game. Some of those style of plays, but we just didn’t do a good job of keeping him in the pocket.”
Justin Fields’ composure is what won the day.
His athleticism was undoubtedly a constant source of frustration for the Patriots. He also made some excellent throws. Yet the ability to play under control on the road in a hostile stadium against a well-coached defense stood out the most. Never was that clearer than late in the second quarter. New England had just scored 14 unanswered points to take the lead. They had all the momentum. The stadium was rocking. Fields took over with six minutes left. He could not afford to give the ball back. What followed was a 79-yard drive. The young QB accounted for 59 of them, including a beautiful 25-yard pass to Khalil Herbert for the go-ahead score.
That sequence took the air out of the building. New England never recovered. Chicago had total control of the game from that point forward, and it was because of Justin Fields. It’s hard to remember the last time seeing a Bears quarterback do such a thing. Probably the Jay Cutler days. The progress is undeniable. Through the first four games, Fields had a passer rating of 58.7. In the past three, it has jumped to 90.1. His confidence is growing, and with it comes success for the team.