Bears' Justin Fields Reportedly Apologized to Defense After Loss to Falcons

The Chicago Bears fell to the Atlanta Falcons 27-24 on Sunday and dropped to 3-8 on the season after a subpar performance by second-year quarterback Justin Fields and the offense.

After the game, Fields apologized to the Chicago defense for the offense's inability to get the job done, per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer:

Fields completed 14-of-21 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown against one interception in the loss. He also rushed for 85 yards and a score.

While Fields didn't have the best game against Atlanta, there are a few things to consider. For one, Fields reportedly dislocated his left shoulder during that game and played through it, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Secondly, Fields has been one of the bright spots for this Chicago team this season. Through 11 games, the Ohio State product has completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 1,642 yards and 13 touchdowns against eight interceptions, in addition to rushing for 834 yards and seven scores.

Fields has looked much better this season than he did during his 2021 rookie campaign, and while there's still plenty of room for improvement, he has given the Bears a lot of hope for the future.

The fact Fields took accountability for his performance is especially notable this week after fellow second-year quarterback Zach Wilson of the New York Jets said he didn't feel like he let the team's defense down in a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots.

Wilson probably owes his defense more of an apology, too. He completed just 9-of-22 passes for 77 yards against New England and failed to lead his offense on a touchdown drive.

According to ESPN's Rich Cimini, Wilson's lack of accountability and leadership "didn't sit well" with the team's defensive players.

The second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has been a huge reason why the Jets offense hasn't been able to reach its potential this season, and it'll be interesting to see what his future with the franchise will look like after this season and beyond.