Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Alyssa Barbieri

Fields Focus: Breaking down Justin Fields during Bears Family Fest

The Chicago Bears held their annual Family Fest at Soldier Field on Sunday, and there was plenty to digest from the padded session.

Justin Fields is entering a pivotal third season, where the expectation is he’ll have a breakout season following some big offseason additions, including wide receiver DJ Moore. After emerging as an elite rusher last season, Fields needs to make strides as a passer. Luckily, Fields has consistency for the first time in his NFL career as he’ll play his second year in Luke Getsy’s offense.

Buy Bears Tickets

We’re taking a look at the good, the bad and the noteworthy with Fields from the 10th practice of Bears training camp:

The Good

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Justin Fields had his best practice of the three-day weekend during Sunday’s Family Fest, where he was at his best in the red zone, connecting with tight end Cole Kmet and wide receiver Chase Claypool for touchdowns.

During the offense’s second 11-on-11 drill, Fields went 4-of-4, including a 14-yard touchdown to receiver DJ Moore.

Later during the “move the ball” period, Fields led the offense on a nine-play, 74-yard touchdown drive, which culminated in a 19-yard touchdown pass to Moore.

“Today it was good,” head coach Matt Eberflus said of the first-team offense Sunday. “There’s a lot of good operation there. I love the connections that we made with DJ and Clay. There were some really good connections there. And I like the way some of the runners were running. When we’re running behind the one line it’s a little bit different. [than] when you’re running with twos and threes. We have to have a good blend of that because I think we’ve been doing a good job of running the football during camp so far. And really the screen game has really picked up. We’re really doing a good job with all types of screens. And that’s starting to pay off for us.”

The Bad

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Fields had his sharpest practice in the last few days, so there wasn’t a whole lot of bad to note. His lone blemish came in low red zone drill against the first-team defense.

Fields was targeting receiver Chase Claypool on a corner route but cornerback Jaylon Johnson read it and came away with an impressive interception.

But Fields bounced back on the ensuing play, where the offensive line gave him plenty of time to find receiver DJ Moore in the back of the end zone for a touchdown (more on that below). Mistakes are going to happen, but it’s how Fields responds that’s important.

The Noteworthy

The connection between Fields and Moore has been the talk of the offseason and summer, as the two have developed a quick and natural chemistry. Sunday’s practice provided a glimpse at what that trust can lead to.

During a low red zone drill against the first-team defense at the end of practice, the offense needed a touchdown to win the game. Fields threw a tight window pass, fitting it between two defenders, that Moore caught in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

“I was just running the back-end line,” Moore said. “There was somebody in front of me, so I just made him go even further and then I was looking to see if I saw Justin. We were on the same page. He put the ball on my back shoulder, and I just made the play.”

Moore called it a “faith ball,” which goes to show the product of that strong trust between quarterback and receiver.

“He’s doing a lot of different things off-script, things they say he didn’t do last year,” Moore said. “I’m seeing positives from him.”

What People Are Saying

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.