Lions head coach Dan Campbell was candid about playing against Justin Fields and the Bears this upcoming Sunday.
“I feel like you’re watching a little bit of Deshaun Watson in Houston, you’re watching Lamar Jackson, Baltimore. There’s a little bit of Jalen Hurts — just very quarterback-driven,” Campbell said of Fields in his Wednesday press conference. “Quarterback-driven runs, guard/tackle pulls, read the end, hand it off, these backs are running hard, they’re downhill. And then, there’s enough of the keepers off of it."
On Sunday, Fields executed his most successful outing of the season against the Miami Dolphins.
He threw for three touchdowns and 123 passing yards while keeping the ball for himself on the ground 15 times, turning his rushing attempts into a quarterback NFL record 178 rushing yards and one 61-yard rushing touchdown.
He became the first quarterback in NFL history to record three passing touchdowns and over 140 rushing yards, torching the Dolphins' defense for 32 points.
Over the last three weeks, Fields has put the Bears' offense on notice through a conglomerate of quarter-designed runs and keen decision-making in the pocket.
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The offense also converted 10-of-16 third downs last week, which accounted for their best conversion rate in a single game this season.
“And then, certainly his ability on third down, that’s where they really got Miami was man, there’s a number of third-and-8, third-and-10, third-and — there’s an opening in there and he takes it and he’s gone," Campbell said. "And one of them for 60-something yards. So, that’s where he’s very lethal, but it’s very much built around him. So, I think the starting point is obviously 32 [David Montgomery] and 24 [Khalil Herbert]. But then, it’s him because he’s very dangerous.”
Certainly, the Lions will have their hands full on Sunday. Even after upsetting the Green Bay Packers with a 15-9 win at home, they still have to deal with Fields.
The Bears' offense has averaged over 30 points per game in the last three weeks and maintains one of the most lethal rushing attacks in the league. Behind Fields, the offense has been on a production tear.
How do you go about defending Fields and the Bears' offense?
“I think you’ve got to use a little bit of everything,” Campbell said. “Really, I think there’s a place to spy, I think there’s a place to pressure, I think there’s a place to really play more coverage and keep everything in front of you and then rally to it. So, I think it’s all-encompassing and a lot of that’ll have to do with third down which will come tonight, tomorrow.
“But I think there’s no easy answer to playing this guy because you see it all over the tape week after week. But it’s certainly something that we’re preaching and it’s the cast the net, close the net."