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It took two and a half games for the Chicago Bears to realize that Justin Fields was the right fit for the job.
Fields will remain the starter of the team, even when Andy Dalton is healthy, head coach Matt Nagy announced Wednesday.
The news is surprising given that Nagy called Dalton the starter from the squad on Monday. Dalton started the Bears’ first two games. He injured his knee in the team’s Week 2 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and is still recovering. Until Wednesday, Nagy was confident Dalton would remain the starter when he was healthy enough to play.
It is not known what has changed during these two days. Maybe the Bears felt better about Fields after watching the recording of the team’s Week 4 win over the Detroit Lions, or maybe Nagy knows her job depends on the victory with Fields.
Whatever the reason, Nagy is convinced Fields is the best choice for the team.
Fields and the Bears face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Justin Fields struggling with growing pains in two starts
The Bears have seen the positives and negatives with Fields in two starts before. Fields – and the rest of the team’s offense – was miserable in his first start against the Browns. He was sacked nine times as the Bears averaged 1.1 yards per game, one of the worst numbers for a team this century. Fields didn’t get much help from Nagy or the Bears’ offensive line.
His second start turned out to be much better. Fields remained on his feet, taking just one sack in a win over the Lions. The Bears relied heavily on the running game, giving David Montgomery 23 runs.
Fields wasn’t asked to throw often, but he displayed impressive arm strength and precision that gave fans a glimpse of his immense advantage.
Fields felt more comfortable the second time around, and granted credit offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, who took over Nagy’s call-calling duties in Week 4. Lazor will likely continue in that role now that Fields is the clear starter of the squad.
Both men will face a much more difficult challenge in Week 5. At 3-1, the Raiders appear to have improved a lot this season. On top of that, Montgomery is set to run out of time with a knee injury, putting more pressure on Fields and Lazor to prove themselves.
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