Is this Justin Fields’ job now for the Bears?

There is a new chapter in Andy Dalton-Justin Fields’ story for Chicago Bears fans to debate now.

Dalton’s knee injury opened the door for Fields perhaps starting with the Bears – from now on. It looked like Dalton was injured in a run late in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals, before limping off the field.

Dalton returned briefly before being sent off with a knee injury, preventing him from completing the rematch against his former team. Instead, Fields took over in the Bears’ 20-17 win.

Is it his job for good?

In theory, it depends on the severity of Dalton’s knee injury. The way head coach Matt Nagy has handled the QB battle so far, Dalton has got all the benefits of the doubt. Nagy has parried the endless questions about who his starter is and when that might change, and he might not be ready to bench Dalton if he’s healthy enough to face the Cleveland Browns next week.

Nagy later told reporters that he was “fairly sure” that Dalton did not sustain a serious knee injury.

In addition, there is the matter of the preparation of Fields. While blowing just enough air into the sails of the first round pick, Nagy also emphasized that preparation was a key factor. Fields didn’t seem ready, but he had his share of mistakes in this appearance of relief.

Fields completed 6 of 13 passes for 60 yards and one pick, also running 10 times for 31 extra yards. Even if you claim his performance was better than the numbers, he stalled twice in the red zone and was guilty of two false starts.

The victory really belonged to the Bears’ defense, which pushed Joe Burrow off three times (on three consecutive assists!) A game late.

The story continues

The fields helped with this. He threw a bad pick into his own end of the field, and the Bengals narrowed him down to 20-17 late. It’s a throw he shouldn’t be making, especially in this situation. The good news, if you’re a fan of half-full glass, it was by far his most egregious misstep in the game.

Justin Fields was up and down on Sunday

It was an omen for Fields. He barely stepped outside the bounds of what could have been a TD race, settling for a field goal instead. Then Fields threw a wonderful deep ball at Allen Robinson that Robinson was dream to entertain over the past three years and more… and Robinson gave it up. Fields also threw the diminutive Darnell Mooney out of reach on a third and goal play.

Almost three. Oh-for-three.

Even with Dalton’s hot start, leading the game’s only offensive TD for Chicago, and whatever veteran stability factor you might attribute to him, Dalton isn’t capable of delivering those big plays on a regular basis.

Can Fields? The big three games were a few whiskers away from hitting, but that’s no guarantee he can pull it off if given the chance.

Some have attributed Nagy’s reluctance to the idea that he does not want to give in to public pressure. But, counterpoint: wouldn’t that be the perfect excuse to take a step?

Dalton is injured, and Nagy can call him now. It is the excuse that should be viewed as a gift.

The Bears can only win a limited number of games with Dalton as quarterback. They at least stand a chance with Fields, even living through the mistakes of the rookies. Bears players seem to know it, fans and the media certainly know it, and Nagy might also quietly admit it if he was pumped with truth serum.

Will the truth come out this week? We will see.