Justin Fields proved against the Broncos that he’s not the problem the Chicago Bears need to fix

The Chicago Bears fell to 0-4 following Sunday’s 31-28 loss to the lowly Denver Broncos, and while losses like Week 4’s have become an expected result for the Bears this season, there’s one thing that’s very different about this defeat: no one can blame quarterback Justin Fields for Chicago’s failure.

The Bears are off to arguably the worst start in franchise history. They haven’t won a game in nearly one year, and with every loss comes an attempt to find who’s to blame. In 2023, the debate has centered around Fields, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, and coach Matt Eberflus. All three have struggled in their roles this year, but Fields has always been at a disadvantage, he depends on his coaches to put him and the rest of the offense in the best position to succeed.

On Sunday, Fields had individual success. He set career highs in passing yards and touchdowns and looked every bit like a quarterback capable of shredding defenses from the pocket and on the move.

Justin Fields completed 28-of-35 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns. He ran for an additional 25 yards. He did have two costly turnovers, including an interception on the Chicago Bears’ final drive that ended the game, but neither he nor his offensive teammates should’ve been in that desperate situation.

The Bears should’ve been ahead, assuming Cairo Santos would’ve made a 35-yard field goal with under three minutes left in the game to give Chicago a 31-28 lead. Instead, Eberflus made the call to go for it on 4th-and-one from the Broncos’ 18-yard line. Khalil Herbert was stuffed short of the sticks, and the rest, as they say, was history.

Blunders like Eberflus’ fourth-down decision call into question the competency of the Bears coaching staff. No team should lose a game with a quarterback who throws for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns. It’s even more egregious to lose a game with that kind of quarterback performance complemented by a running back who tops 100 yards rushing. Herbert ran for 103 against the Broncos.

The Chicago Bears found a way to do it, though. They found a way to lose a game that, at one point, saw them hold a 21-point lead. And let’s not forget who their opponent was, either. The Broncos were fresh off a near-historic defeat in Week 3 that saw them surrender 70 points to the Miami Dolphins. They’re a terrible team, but the Bears found a way to be worse.

At this point, the Bears’ 2023 season is over. Changes are coming to Halas Hall, and they could come sooner than what’s traditionally expected from this franchise. Chicago doesn’t fire its coach during the season, they never have. But Matt Eberflus proved Sunday that he is at the core of the problems plaguing this team right now, and for Justin Fields and the rest of the young core players to have a chance at being the best versions of themselves, he has to go.

It’s important to find a silver lining in every dark day. In Week 4, the silver lining was Justin Fields. The Chicago Bears do have their quarterback of the future, but they have to make sure he’s surrounded by good coaches who make good decisions.

Sunday proved the Bears don’t have that in 2023, and it needs to change.

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