Bears fans think Vikings got away with illegal hit on Justin Fields
Jordan Hicks had one of the best games of the week with 10 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery for a touchdown, but some fans think he got away with a penalty when he hit quarterback Justin Fields in the first half.
It was early in the second quarter and the Bears had the ball 3rd-and-goal from the 4-yard line when Fields was flushed from the pocket and sacked by Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. The questionable hit by Hicks came at the end of the play when Fields was going to the ground and Hicks lunged forward and delivered what appeared to be a helmet-to-helmet hit.
Video of the hit posted to Xwitter by a Chicago Bears podcaster has more than 2.5 million views and hundreds of comments, many of them saying Fields never gets the calls that star quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts get "every" time.
No flags were thrown on the play – it was the same play Vikings edge rusher Marcus Davenport was injured – and the Bears settled for a 22-yard field goal to tie the game 3-3. Had a flag been thrown, the Bears would've had 1st-and-goal from the 2-yard line.
Oct 15, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (97) tackle Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
It's hard to say how much a flag would've altered the game, but in a hypothetical world where a flag was thrown and the Bears finish the drive with a touchdown, they may have trailed 19-17 late in the fourth quarter when backup QB Tyson Bagent went deep from the Minnesota 35-yard line and was intercepted by Byron Murphy to lock up the win for the Vikings.
Bagent threw the interception as Chicago trailed 19-13 with 1:51 to go. If it was 19-17 there's a chance the Bears are taking their time to set up Cairo Santos for a field goal and Bagent never throws deep.
