In what could have been Justin Fields final home game at snowy Soldier Field, he and his teammates left it all out on the field. The Bears beat the Falcons 37-17, looking great on offense against a top-ten Atlanta defense. Fields looked amazing, the defense got takeaways, and the team came away with its fourth win in its last five games. Though the Rams’ victory eliminated Chicago from the playoffs, the vibes have reached a high point. The defense has something brewing, and I think that the way that both offensive and defensive players have rallied around Justin Field has really brought the team together.
Fields Was Phenomenal
We got everything you could ever ask for out of Justin Fields in Week 17. He finished the game 20/32 with 268 passing yards and one passing touchdown. He added 46 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown to go along with it. He did not turn the ball over once, and made multiple special plays that probably only he and MVP-frontrunner Lamar Jackson could make. The use of his legs can not be understated. In addition to the insane escape of at least three easy sacks on a 3rd-and-long conversion in the second half, he had several first down scrambles. However, his arm was just as impressive as his legs in this one. The Falcons defense is good. It came into the game allowing the ninth-least net yards per pass attempt, but Fields carved them up without his second and third receiving options (TE Cole Kmet and WR Darnell Mooney). The touchdown pass to DJ Moore in the corner of the endzone on the first drive of the game might have been the best throw of his career. There was a 1×1 foot window for that ball to be placed, and he got it there despite fantastic coverage by Falcons safety Jessie Bates III (who is having a very good season). The Falcons had been giving up 19.2 points per game (sixth-best in NFL) heading into Week 17, and Fields led the offense to a whopping 37 points. This was a statement game by Justin Fields.
Herbert and Moore Balled Out
Wide receiver DJ Moore was the biggest beneficiary of Justin Fields’ passing prowess this week. He ran shallow crossers all game long, and they worked, all game long. Moore finished with 159 receiving yards and a touchdown on nine catches. He is just so good, and serves as a safety blanket for Fields.
Khalil Herbert also went off against the Falcons, finished with 124 rushing yards and a touchdown. The threat of Fields running the ball gives him a half-step advantage on lots of carries, and Herbert has been taking advantage of this. This was Herbert’s second straight game of 110+ rushing yards. It’s good to see him finally fully healthy after his stint on the IR earlier this season.
The Defense Came Alive
After a brief, one-week-long hiatus, the defensive takeaways came back in a huge way against the Falcons. The Bears picked off Taylor Heinicke four times, catapulting to first in the NFL in interceptions. Rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had the best game of his career, putting up a 90.5 PFF grade (his previous best was 77.5). He tallied two interceptions, one PBU, and allowed only a 33.3% reception percentage. He is really coming into his own, which makes me very excited for next season. Kyler Gordon snagged one as well, and linebacker TJ Edwards grabbed his third of the year. CB Jaylon Johnson was only targeted one time all game, an 8-yard completion to Drake London. Heinicke did not look good out there, but the strength of the defense was a big part of that.
Another extremely encouraging aspect of Week 17 was the play of rookie defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr. Zacch Pickens. After slow starts to the season, the addition of Montez Sweat to the defense seems to have invigorated the two. Dexter Sr. tallied the first multi-sack game of his career. Pickens, despite only playing 15 snaps, had two hurries (tied for first with Dexter Sr. and Justin Jones). He had a fantastic 30% win rate in his limited snaps. Everything seems to be pointing up for this defense.
Onto Green Bay
With the vibes at an all time high, the Bears will head into Green Bay to cap off the season with the prime opportunity to eliminate the Packers from the playoffs. With a Week 18 win, the Bears would have an immense amount of momentum heading into 2024. Hopefully Justin Fields can put up another masterpiece and get revenge on the team that embarrassed the Bears back in September.