'Gave Us Hell!' Washington Commanders' Ron Rivera on Facing Chicago Bears' Justin Fields

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, despite his struggles, still poses a threat to the Washington Commanders. Head coach Ron Rivera broke down Thursday's challenge.

It hasn’t been a very fun opening month for the Chicago Bears.

The coaching staff is getting, justifiably, lectured on social media. Receiver Chase Claypool, who they traded the 32nd pick for, spent the day at home as a healthy scratch in Week 4. The Bears are 0-4, the defense is amongst the worst in the sport, and quarterback Justin Fields looks as lost as he did last season.

Frankly, it would be understandable if some in the Washington Commanders’ facility were looking ahead to the Week 6 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Ron Rivera isn’t, though.

He saw the trouble Fields gave Washington last year, also on Thursday Night Football, when he ran for 88 yards and came incredibly close to a successful game-winning drive. The Commanders won 12-7 in Chicago.

“They have a very talented young quarterback who’s dynamic and explosive,” Rivera said. “Last year he gave us hell.”

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields throwing a pass against the Denver Broncos / USA Today

Fields has struggled mightily this season, to the tune of the sixth-worst quarterback rating in football (35.7). Even that can be considered inflated by a first half against a historically bad Denver Broncos defense.

The young passer is known for his athleticism. Yet, he hasn’t been too reliant on his legs this season. He’s averaging less than half the yards per game that he posted last season. Regardless, he remains a big play threat because of that athleticism, even when the defense does its job.

“We can’t allow that to happen,” Rivera said. “We’ve got to be disciplined. We’ve got to play our game.”

Washington’s defense hasn’t lived up to expectations, in part due to poor field positioning from the offense’s shortcomings. Too many explosives have already burned them, and even when the pass rush looks good, they’ve struggled to contain scrambling quarterbacks.

Thursday should be lighter on the Commanders than the Buffalo Bills or Philadelphia Eagles were, thanks not only to Fields’ uninspiring development but the crumbling roster that surrounds him. Even so, he was not shy about his appreciation for Fields.

“I like who their quarterback is,” Rivera said. “I really do. I think Justin’s a heck of a young man.”

It takes a franchise quarterback to lead organizations out of the storm of dysfunction circling above Chicago. When the Commanders host the Bears on Thursday, they’ll look to add to the evidence that Fields isn’t that type of player.