3 Takeaways from Bears' Week 1 Win
Justin Fields led the Chicago Bears to an impressive victory. Then, the second-year quarterback and his teammates turned the turf at Soldier Field into their own version of a slip-and-slide, gliding through the rain puddles in celebration.
It was all good vibes on a soggy Sunday afternoon for the Bears, who used an impressive fourth quarter to beat the San Francisco 49ers 19-10 and came away with a victory in head coach Matt Eberflus' debut. It was the first time that Chicago started a season with a home win since 2013.
The Bears trailed 10-0 midway through the third quarter, but they scored the final 19 points of the game. Fields' 18-yard touchdown pass to Equanimeous St. Brown gave Chicago the lead with 12 minutes and 45 seconds to go, then Khalil Herbert's three-yard TD run sealed the game with 7:21 remaining.
Here are three takeaways from the Bears' season-opening victory.
Fields Now a Leader at Start of Sophomore Season
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Fields' numbers weren't great on Sunday. The 23-year-old quarterback completed only eight of his 17 pass attempts for 121 yards. He didn't make much of an impact with his legs, either, compiling only 28 yards on 11 carries.
However, Fields threw a pair of touchdown passes. And both were instrumental in the Bears' comeback win. It also showed that the sophomore QB is ready to be a leader for the team after he endured some growing pains during his 2021 rookie campaign.
Fields' 51-yard touchdown pass to Dante Pettis with 5:32 to go in the third quarter finally got Chicago's offense going. Then, Fields orchestrated the two scoring drives in the fourth that lifted the team to victory.
"Coach always says it’s mental and physical stamina," Fields said, per Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press. "Who can play the longest, the hardest and just play every play. We won this game with mental and physical stamina."
It wasn't the best QB performance, and it wasn't even Fields' best showing. But it was an encouraging start to the season for him, especially because the weather conditions won't always be as poor as they were Sunday in Chicago. Fields will be looking to lead an offense with plenty of unproven players to success, and it's so far, so good in doing so.
Herbert Will Be a Big Factor on Offense
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Entering the regular season, the Bears' backfield picture was clear. David Montgomery was the starter, Khalil Herbert was the No. 2 RB and rookie Trestan Ebner was ready to provide depth. All three would likely get touches, but Montgomery was expected to dominate the workload.
On Sunday, Montgomery's fourth NFL season did not get off to a good start. He had 17 carries for 26 yards and didn't have any rushes longer than six yards. He also recorded three receptions for 24 yards, with his biggest play of the game coming on a 16-yard catch.
Herbert was much more effective with fewer opportunities. He ran for 45 yards on only nine carries, including his three-yard touchdown rush in the fourth. The second-year back flashed his potential at times as a rookie in 2021, and he may be proving he's deserving of more chances to produce early in 2022.
Even if Montgomery still gets the majority of touches for a while, Herbert proved that he can be a strong contributor in the No. 2 role. He's likely going to be a valuable player for Chicago's offense moving forward, considering he fared so well against a solid San Francisco run defense.
This May Only Be Beginning to Strong Start in Eberflus Era
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With a 1-0 career head-coaching record, Eberflus will lead the Bears on the road in Week 2 for their first NFC North matchup of the season. It should be a challenging test, as they'll be taking on the Green Bay Packers.
But what if Chicago can topple Green Bay? The Packers opened the season with a loss, and two-time defending NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers hasn't yet established connections with many members of his young, unproven receiving corps. Maybe the Bears could start 2-0.
In Weeks 3 and 4, Chicago has much lighter matchups. It hosts the Houston Texans in Week 3 and goes on the road to face the New York Giants in Week 4. So it's quite possible that a Bears team that many externally didn't have high expectations for could surprise a bit early.
Some called Chicago's win over San Francisco (which reached the NFC Championship Game last season) an upset. Eberflus didn't see it that way.
“I’m not surprised,” Eberflus said, per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I thought the guys executed. I thought that they hung in there. That’s what you’ve got to do in the NFL. It’s never going to be perfect. It’s always going to be hard.”
And it's not going to get easier. But the Bears could surprise some other people in the process.
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