Vikings win, but Justin Fields, Bears offense take a step forward

By Carmen Vitali
FOX Sports NFC North Writer

The Minnesota Vikings hung on for a win despite a 19-point rally from the visiting Chicago Bears. And while the Vikings will now sit atop the NFC North at 4-1, the Bears might have been the real winners Sunday because, well, they might have finally found their offense.

It was, by far, quarterback Justin Fields' best day under coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. The second-year quarterback completed 15 of 21 pass attempts for 208 yards and a touchdown. He threw no interceptions, only took two sacks and finished with a career-high 118.8 passer rating.

Not only that, but seven different receivers caught passes from Fields. Both running back David Montgomery and tight end Cole Kmet tied for the most, at four targets apiece. They both caught all four and combined for 107 yards. 

Wide receiver Darnell Mooney, while only catching two of five targets, was the one to actually provide the spark the Bears offense needed when he snatched a one-handed grab 39 yards downfield from Fields that set up the Bears' first touchdown of the day in the second quarter. 

Chicago went on to score 19 unanswered points.

"The efficiency in the passing game, I think we took a step forward for sure," Fields said. "I felt like the protection was better today."

The offense was significantly more balanced than it had been through the first four games, running the ball 24 times while passing 21 times.

Chicago's defense was carved up by Justin Jefferson, particularly early in the game. The wide receiver set a new career high with 12 receptions, piled up 154 yards and even threw a 23-yard pass of his own. But the Bears defenders stepped up late, gifting the offense a bonus possession in the fourth quarter that turned into go-ahead points. Chicago had the ball with a chance to tie the game at the end of it.

The upset, however, proved elusive. The ball was ripped out of wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette's hands by cornerback and former teammate Cam Dantzler. But the point is the Bears had a chance — and that's more than they've been able to say as of late.

I'm not saying 47 offensive plays is anything to hang your hat on, either. Chicago could have benefited from running the ball more, especially considering the Bears possessed the ball for a grand total of 23 minutes, 16 seconds all game. 

Running back Khalil Herbert, who had been the workhorse of the offense last week in Montgomery's absence, was hardly heard from. He had four carries for 11 yards.

In fact, it was Fields who led the Bears rushing attack, carrying the ball eight times for 47 yards. He would have had 52 more and a rushing touchdown if not for a holding penalty that negated the score in the fourth quarter. Some of those were even designed runs, though, and slowly but surely, you can see the plan for this offense —and really the whole team— coming into focus.

Imagine a world where Montgomery and Herbert carry the ball 30 times collectively, and Fields throws for more than 200 yards while spreading the ball out to seven or more receivers? The Bears were 2-for-2 inside the red zone Sunday and converted four of 10 third downs. Add in a vastly improved special teams unit and voilà — you have something resembling a complete football team.

Perhaps most encouraging for Chicago was the fact Eberflus himself loosened the reins. The Bears came out of an abysmal first half and went right down the field to score with their first possession of the second half. Eberflus then elected to go for two, which would have put Chicago within a field goal. They didn't convert the attempt, but that didn't deter Eberflus. He called an onside kick — and it almost worked.

"I love it, personally," said Fields of the call and Eberflus' decisions. "I think it's confidence in us. I think he believes in us. If we do get that onside kick, it gives us momentum. It shows if we don't get it, he trusts in the defense."

He kept at it, too. On the Bears' next drive, Eberflus greenlit a fourth-down try with four yards to go from Getsy. Chicago hadn't converted a fourth down all season. But Eberflus showed he isn't afraid to take risks. And that trickles down.

Getsy mixed up the offense throughout the second half. He sent Fields on designed runs, mixed in high-completion throws to build up Fields' confidence, and he even finally got Kmet in the mix. In fact, two of Kmet's catches came on third down.

No, the Bears didn't get the win in Minnesota. But if there are moral victories to be had, they got one of those in what the offense showed. Maybe more importantly, they showed there is a path forward for this Chicago team, and things maybe doesn't look so bleak after all.

"Keep going," Fields said after the game. "That's all you can do. Keep going, keep grinding and keep fighting."

Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.