Bears Defense Still Can’t Believe They Let Justin Fields Down In Pittsburgh
It’s easy to say publicly that you intend to move on from a bad loss. That is what you must do as a professional football player in the NFL. Still, don’t be fooled. There are many instances where players and coaches can’t help but lament over games they let slip away. That seems to be the case for the Chicago Bears defense. According to Tashaun Gipson, he and other members of the unit have lost a lot of sleep over what happened in Pittsburgh two weeks ago. Not just that they lost the game, but that they squandered such a magical moment by young quarterback Justin Fields.
It should’ve been a turning point of the season. The rookie gets the ball with under four minutes left down 26-20. Exhibiting calm and poise, he leads the offense on a decisive drive capped by brilliant throws to Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney to score the go-ahead touchdown. Chicago takes the lead 27-26 with 1:48 to go. All the defense had to do at that point was get one stop. Something they’ve done so many times in the past. Sadly, it didn’t happen. The Steelers got into position for a game-winning field goal, dropping Chicago to 3-6.
While the focus is now on Baltimore, it’s clear guys are still thinking about it.
It is easy to understand why the defense feels that way. It is unfamiliar territory for them. Going back a number of years, they were always the ones making the plays necessary to win. They were the ones who closed things out. Then somewhere over the past month or so, a realization hit them. They can’t do that anymore. It started even before the Pittsburgh fiasco. Every time Fields handed them an opportunity to grab momentum late in games, they let it slip away.
- Fields cut the lead against Green Bay to 17-14 in the 4th quarter
- Defense allows a TD on the next drive
- Fields does his electric scramble TD to make it 23-22 against San Francisco
- Defense allows a TD on the next drive
- Fields engineers the go-ahead score in Pittsburgh to make it 27-26
- Defense allows a FG to give away the lead on the next drive
Justin Fields gets the attention but this year is on the defense too
The rookie has played well enough to give his team a chance to win three of the last four games. In every instance, the defense allowed 24, 33, and 29 points. People can blame the refs all they want. The hard truth is this group is a shell of its former self. Those guys are paid way too much money to be this ineffective. The offense has been awful at times this year, but they were good enough to beat both the 49ers and Steelers.
By rights, the Bears should be 5-4 right now. Justin Fields should be getting the same adulation pundits are showering on Mac Jones in New England. Instead, he’s relegated to the tier of “intriguing but hasn’t learned how to win yet.” Something that frustrates him to no end. The quarterback won’t say anything about it though.
He’ll shoulder the responsibility and continue to work.
As for the defense? Their moment of truth is at hand. If they want to show the league that what happened the past month is not who they are, then this coming stretch will be the time to do it. Three of the next four games against MVP-contending quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson, Kyle Murray, and Aaron Rodgers. Can they right the wrong? They intend to try.