Justin Fields is expected to be on the field this Sunday when the Bears play host to the Packers in Week 6 in a key NFC North showdown. The Bears’ new starting quarterback underwent tests Monday on his hyperextended knee that was injured during Sunday’s road win over the Raiders, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Fields went 12 of 20 for 111 yards in his third career start. He threw his first regular-season touchdown pass, a 2-yard throw to Jesper Horsted that gave Chicago a 7-3 second-quarter lead. The Bears never trailed from that point forward, as a 4-yard touchdown run by Damien Williams and two Cairo Santos field goals keyed Chicago’s 20-9 win.
Fields was out for two plays after getting sacked by Yannick Ngakoue midway through the second quarter. After a brief spell on the bench, Fields returned and completed a key 12-yard completion to Allen Robinson. The completion set up Williams’ touchdown run that stretched the Bears’ lead to 14-3.
“I knew I hyperextended it,” Fields said after the game, via ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson. “I was just trying to see if I could get up and I was just able to walk off the field and then after a while I could start feeling my strength getting back, so I was just trying to see how stable it was and seeing if I could run on it.”
After Josh Jacobs‘ touchdown run cut the Bears’ lead to five points, Fields’ key third-down completion to receiver Darnell Mooney set up the first of Santos’ two field goals.
“All week we kind of had that bad boy sitting there waiting for that moment,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said of the play, via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. “Now I don’t know if it’s to win the game, but it’s one of those crucial third-and-12s. That was a big-time play in that game. And if you don’t get that, now the momentum meter swings to them big time. Mooney, to get open and make the play, Justin went through his progression, the offensive line blocked, and Justin made a great throw.”
Along with his clutch completions, Nagy praised the intangible facets of Fields’ game that contributed to the Bears’ third win of the season.
“His toughness was great. It was awesome,” Nagy said. “That’s the No. 1 thing I’m taking out of this, is his toughness.”
