It's Back to the Bench for Justin Fields After Win

Bears quarterback accepts his fate as a backup for now but keeps an eye on possible playing time in the near future. GAME HIGHLIGHTS BELOW

This was not the kind of preseason finale to make someone feel good about the Bears offense and what's ahead, as much it was one to feel good about Justin Fields.

The rookie quarterback is moving on now to watch and back up Andy Dalton, but if the first-team Bears offensive line plays against the Rams in the opener like it did against the Tennessee Titans in a 27-24 preseason-ending win then Fields will be on the field faster than anyone would have expected because of an injury.

If they play that way with Fields taking snaps in the regular season, maybe they better keep third-team QB Nick Foles and not trade him to any one of several teams who could come calling in the next few days because they will need every quarterback who can stand.

The line was that bad. 

They got Fields sacked on third-and-4 on the first Bears possession, failed to open a crack up anywhere for running back Damien Williams on third-and-2 and then fourth-and-1 at midfield on successive plays during the second possession, and had penalties for false start and holding kill another second-quarter drive.

This was the first-team offensive line and it was facing Titans backups for the most part.

Fields fought through it and led a TD drive to close the half, finishing preseason with a TD pass of 20 yards to Jesper Horsted—appropriately enough, on a rollout throw.

"That was just kind of an example of the power of Justin Fields," Horsted said. "He's great at extending the play."

This ability to run around and then throw is making coach Matt Nagy dream about his days as a college or Arena League player.

"It would be so easy when you run 4.4," Nagy said of Fields' 40 time. "I know if I was (running) 4.4 I'd be running all the time. I know how that feels. But he's staying up. He's throwing that ball."

Fields will need more help to stay up in the regular season if and when he plays.

"I thought our offensive line did a good job of giving him that pocket, especially on that drive," Nagy said. 

But not for the rest of the half. 

Nagy left the line on the field for the full half and finally it paid off with the TD pass.

"Regardless of results and really what happened, I thought it was important to get the cohesion of them being together," Nagy said. "I thought it was good for them. It really was. That's why we wanted to do that. It was to be able to let them get out there. Not even so much schematically, as it was just them working together, them being in the huddle, them knowing what it's like together, sitting on the bench with (line coach) Juan (Castillo) after a play, looking at the video together."

The line hadn't played together at all in preseason, at least this version of the line. Now it's intact and Jason Peters is included in there. He had 21 reps in the game as they tested the conditioning of a 39-year-old tackle.

"So that's about what we were hoping to get from him regardless of whether it was the first quarter or a quarter and a half," Nagy said. "So we'll have to see how's he feeling tomorrow recovering from a day of playing. 

"And then we've got this time in between to let him continue to get in football shape and see where he's at. But we hope that that's the case."

Nagy called it just a matter of physically being ready for Peters.

"We're going to step it up, we're going to get him going," Nagy said. "He's ready for it. But I think that's a really good acquisition by Ryan (Pace) and his guys to get him in here."

Now the line will keep getting reps. Fields won't be. He'll be watching Andy Dalton despite the big plays he shows he can make.

"So for us, we are just as excited," Nagy said. "This is the plan, this is the process, we understand that. That's what we've been saying from the very start. But with this, when you look at this thing big picture, we love where he's at. He's done everything that we've asked him to do. 

"And he knows. Justin, all he's focused on every day, even tomorrow, is being as great as he can be and know, what did we say, just make it as hard on us (coaches) as you can and we'll all know. That's what I've said from Day 1. And so, as we continue with this plan and this process that's where we'll be at."

To his credit, Fields is trusting in the coach's plan even if fans and media don't. He'll go quietly to the bench now and isn't worried about how he's supposed to develop by watching someone else play.

"I'm not worried about that," Fields said. "I've just got to take advantage of every practice rep that I get. I can't be defeated by 'there's no more preseason games.' Every rep I get in practice, every play that I get, I've got to treat it like a game and get better on that play."

The next time we see Fields in a game, the Bears can only hope they have their offensive line troubles solved.

If they don't, that rolling and throwing sure will come in handy.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven