Seamus Carr brings you all the biggest storylines from Week 9, including the emergence of a young quarterback and a supposedly high-powered offense experiencing some growing pains.
Justin Fields’ Historic Day
In a game where the Miami Dolphins continued to set off offensive fireworks, Justin Fields kept the Chicago Bears within striking distance and put up historic numbers on the ground in the process. Fields rushed for 178 yards on Sunday, the most ever in NFL history by a quarterback in a regular season game. Fields topped Michael Vick for the top spot on that list, showing shades of the former Falcon on a ridiculous touchdown run in the third quarter. Dropping back to pass, Fields scrambled to his left, pump faked to freeze a linebacker, and continued up-field to the end-zone, passing by Dolphins defenders as if they were standing still.
The Bears’ Evolving Play-Calling
Over the past several weeks, the coaching staff for the Bears has finally started to embrace Fields’ athleticism and tailor their offensive scheme accordingly. Fields rushed 15 times on Sunday, the most attempts so far in his career. The previous regime in Chicago egregiously underutilized Fields’ legs in their offense, a mistake this current staff is making sure to correct. The shift has been critical, allowing Fields to play to his strengths and take the next step in his development.
