Chicago Bears

The more things change, the more they stay the same for the Chicago Bears.

Chicago may finally have its franchise quarterback it has long been searching for in Justin Fields, but it still can't figure out how to beat the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay won the latest edition of the rivalry 28-19 in Sunday's showdown at Soldier Field, improving to 5-8 with the victory.

The Packers, who have won eight in a row and 23 of the last 26 against their rivals, also moved ahead of the Bears for first place on the NFL's all-time wins list at 787.

Yet from Chicago's perspective, a win was well within its grasp. It built a 16-10 halftime lead behind touchdown runs from Fields and David Montgomery, with the former's score going for 55 yards. However, it collapsed in the second half behind some questionable coaching decisions and two late interceptions from Fields.

The coaching staff in particular drew plenty of criticism from Bears fans online:

Chicago was up 16-10 in the third quarter with the opportunity to seize control with 1st-and-goal from the 19-yard line after a penalty but called a run play and two short passes that had no chance at the end zone before settling for a field goal. Then it was up 19-17 on the next possession and moved into scoring position when Fields unleashed a beautiful deep ball to N'Keal Harry.

However, it called another run play on 3rd-and-5 and settled for yet another field-goal attempt, which was blocked.

The Packers ended up taking the lead from there and then clinched the win when Fields threw late interceptions to Jaire Alexander and Keisean Nixon. The Nixon one was a poor throw from a quarterback in desperation mode down two scores in the final minute, but it was easy to blame Equanimeous St. Brown and a questionable receiver group on the first one:

At the end of the day, the Bears still have plenty of question marks even if Fields is tremendous with his legs and completed 20 of 25 passes despite playing with a terrible roster.

The silver lining is they are setting up for a favorable draft pick to address some of those question marks, but this loss will surely linger into the bye week.

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is considered a "long shot" to play Sunday's game against the New York Jets due to a left shoulder injury, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

Fields, who has been limited in practice all week, will still be given the opportunity to warm up on Sunday before a final determination is made, per Rapoport and Garafolo.

Fields' health was the biggest storyline surrounding the team when he was carted to the locker room following a Week 11 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the injury was diagnosed as a left shoulder dislocation.

Considering the Bears are nowhere near playoff contention at 3-8, they will surely treat any injury to their franchise quarterback with extreme caution. His ability to live up to his long-term potential is far more important than winning any individual games down the stretch of what is a lost season for the team.

While there were some questions about the 23-year-old after his rookie campaign, he has taken significant strides in his second season.

The Ohio State product is at his best with his legs and has accounted for 834 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. He has also completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 1,642 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Look for Chicago to rely on Trevor Siemian under center until Fields is ready to return.

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields underwent an X-ray after suffering a left shoulder injury during Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

According to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Fields—who is dealing with pain—is unsure how the injury will affect him moving forward.

"The pain right now is pretty bad," the 23-year-old said, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. "I’ll just take it day by day and see how it feels later in the week."

Fields added: "I was hurting but it was the last drive of the game. I was just trying to be there for my teammates and fight through the pain."

The Bears traded up to No. 11 overall in the 2021 NFL draft to take Fields, who accounted for 86 touchdowns (67 passing, 19 rushing) during his collegiate career with Ohio State.

He completed 58.9 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions and 1,870 yards in 12 games (10 starts) during his first NFL season. He also rushed for 420 yards and two scores on 72 attempts.

Andy Dalton began last season as the Bears' starter, but Fields officially became QB1 when the former Cincinnati Bengal suffered a bone bruise on his left knee in Week 2.

However, Fields suffered multiple cracked ribs in a 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 21 that kept him out for an additional two games.

He returned for Week 14 against the Green Bay Packers but suffered an ankle injury in a 17-9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 20. He finished the game but missed the Bears' last two regular-season contests.

Fields has been far more explosive this season, however, as the Bears have rebuilt their offensive identity around his unique skills. While that hasn't translated to consistent winning for the 3-8 Bears, it has offered confidence that they've found their franchise quarterback for the future.

Without Fields, Trevor Siemian becomes QB1. The 30-year-old has played 33 games (29 starts) over a seven-year NFL career with the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints.

It isn't a fluke—Justin Fields has arrived. And his level of play in the past few weeks could only be described as otherworldly.

The Chicago Bears' second-year quarterback had another fantastic performance Sunday, albeit in a 31-30 loss to the Detroit Lions (3-6). It's hard to imagine Bears fans being too torn up about the result, however, after Fields finished the day 12-of-20 for 167 yards, two scores and an interception, adding 13 carries for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bears (3-7) are in another rebuilding year. The most important part of any rebuild—finding a franchise quarterback—is no longer a concern.

The response on Twitter to a player after they've had a memorable performance, good or bad, is often a bit performative itself. A good game can be the greatest thing the consortium of "hot take" tweeters has ever seen. A poor showing can be a harbinger of doom to come.

But on Sunday, the response from NFL Twitter was one of pure joy, and it felt completely appropriate:

Well, maybe not only joy—there was also a bit of "I told you so" regarding how the prior usage of Fields in the Matt Nagy era limited his upside:

But mostly it was joy because, right now, Fields is simply one of the most breathtaking watches in the NFL.

He wasn't perfect. An ill-advised pick-six in the fourth quarter tied the game at 24-24, giving the Lions new life.

But his response was a 67-yard touchdown run on the very next drive. Special.

And no, Fields couldn't lead the Bears to a game-winning field goal late in the game. But there are 10 other players on offense, too, and it's hard to argue that any of them are playing anywhere near the level of Fields right now.

Certainly, the Bears wouldn't have been just a point behind without Fields.

As the Bears get Fields more help, the wins will follow. The important thing is that the franchise quarterback is here, and he's spectacular.

There hasn't been a much more even timeshare at the running back position this season than the one between Chicago Bears halfbacks David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert.

That has made deciding which player has more fantasy value—and thus, knowing which one you should target in a potential trade ahead of the upcoming fantasy deadline—a tricky proposition.

If you value consistent usage, Montgomery is going to be your guy. He's seen double-digit carries in all but one game he's played this season, hitting the 15-carry mark five times.

If you value explosive upside, however, Herbert is your guy. Despite seeing fewer overall touches this year, he's offered more fantasy value, turning his limited usage into very solid production.

Currently, Herbert has five weeks with double-digit fantasy points. Montgomery only has three.

The issue, of course, is that the presence of the other player limits the fantasy upside of both Bears running backs. It's hard to see either as anything more than a flex option, so it's hard to recommend breaking the bank to acquire either ahead of the trade deadline.

Herbert is the clear upside play, and he's the player who would more greatly benefit from seizing the role. When Montgomery injured his ankle in Week 3, left that game and missed the next game as well, Herbert responded by rushing 39 times for 234 yards and two touchdowns.

If he's given another chance to serve as the main option in Chicago's backfield, you'd expect him to thrive. The Bears certainly believe in him.

"You look at last year what he did—four games in a row, led the NFC in rushing," head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters in late September. "He's done it. He's a good player. I think he's an exciting guy to watch."

Eberflus was referencing Weeks 5-8 in the 2021 campaign, when Montgomery was out of action. During that period, Herbert rushed 78 times for 344 yards and a touchdown, adding nine receptions for 44 yards.

It was an impressive cameo, albeit not one that earned him a bigger role once Montgomery returned, as he has rushed for just 89 yards and a touchdown in the 13 games he played outside of that four-game stretch.

And that's the rub. Montgomery limits Herbert. Herbert limits Montgomery. So long as this timeshare is intact, neither player offers much in the way of trade value.