Déjà vu: Bears QB Justin Fields’ fumble reminiscent of Mitch Trubisky in 2020

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Stop us if this sounds familiar: a Bears quarterback whose public support is waning posts a standout game against the league’s worst defense, only to fumble in the fourth quarter of an inexcusable come-from-ahead loss.

The defeat, the latest in a crushing losing streak, would be clinched later when a Bears running back was stuffed on fourth-and-1 late in the fourth quarter.

It happened to Justin Fields on Sunday. But it also happened to Mitch Trubisky on Dec. 6, 2020.

History repeats itself at Halas Hall, whether it’s a moody wide receiver or a coach failing to communicate clearly or a loss clinched from the jaws of victory.  

In this case, the best passing game of Fields’ career is similar to the game that smothered any notion the Bears could redeem Trubisky. That doesn’t bode well for Fields, even as he’s coming off his most encouraging game in two years — albeit against a defense that allowed 70 points the week prior.  

He looked comfortable and the offense made sense — both were firsts this season — as he threw for career highs with 335 yards, four touchdowns and a 132.7 passer rating.  Fields, though, committed two game-changing takeaways — the fumble and an interception in the final seconds — when it mattered most.

Fields will need to repeat his career-best passing against better defenses before the Bears could possibly consider him the long-term answer at quarterback. Thursday will be a more accurate test, though far from defining — the Commanders allow 30 points per game, the fourth-most in the NFL. The Broncos hung 33 on them in Week 2.

The Bears will tinker with scheme going forward, coach Matt Eberflus said Monday, but he sounded pleased with what he saw: a system molding together a strong rushing attack, a focus on getting the ball to play-making pass-catchers and Fields throwing on the run.

“In terms of the concepts and the style of it, that’s going to be there, right?” Eberflus said. “We want to make sure we are enhancing the skill of our players, which I think (Sunday) we did. …. We want to continue to do that.”

Luke Getsy’s play-calling highlighted Fields’ skillset, Eberflus said.

“He felt very comfortable in there,” he said. “And you could see that as we went through the game.”

Tight end Cole Kmet said that “there was more of an identity to the offense” Sunday.

“You could feel that out there — especially for those first three quarters … ” he said. “You saw a good mesh of everything that you kinda wanted to see at times.”

Except at the end.

Up by seven with about seven minutes to play, Fields faked a handoff and Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto was waiting for him on a naked bootleg. He fumbled as he tried to throw the ball away. Linebacker Jonathon Cooper scooped up the fumble and returned it 35 yards to tie the game.

Up three with 1:57 left three years ago, Trubisky faced third-and-4 at his own 17. Rather than hand off, the Bears decided to throw. The Lions’ Romeo Okwara rushed Trubisky on the front side and batted the ball out of his right hand as he was lifting it to throw. The Lions would eventually score a touchdown to take the lead.

Down three at the Broncos’ 18 with about three minutes left Sunday, Eberflus decided to hand off to Khalil Herbert on fourth-and-1 from the shotgun. He was stuffed, and the Bears lost their 14th consecutive game, a franchise record.

Down four at the Lions’ 20 with 16 seconds left, Matt Nagy decided to hand off to David Montgomery on fourth-and-1 from the shotgun. He too was stuffed, and the Bears lost their sixth in a row.

Trubisky had false positives afterward, winning three of the Bears’ final four games to make the playoffs, but never played for the team after 2020. The Bears instead drafted Fields, who is running out of time to dispel any more Trubisky similarities.