SEATTLE – Justin Fields and the Bears’ offense accomplished something Thursday in Seattle that they couldn’t do in their preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Put points on the board.
With a short turnaround between preseason games, Fields and the starters only played one series against the Seahawks at Lumen Field.
Fields orchestrated a 10-play, 52-yard drive to open the game, culminating in a 35-yard field goal from Cairo Santos.
After a disjointed offensive showing against the Chiefs, the Bears’ passing game looked a little more polished against the Seahawks.
Cole Kmet’s return was a big reason for the uptick in production. The third-year tight end didn't play against the Chiefs after missing most of the week of practice with a minor injury.
Fields opened the drive by hitting Kmet on a tight end screen for 12 yards.
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After an incomplete pass, a 7-yard run by Khalil Herbert, and a 1-yard scramble, Fields faced a fourth-and-2 near midfield. The second-year quarterback drew defensive end Darrell Taylor offsides with a hard count to move the chains.
Two plays later, Fields bootlegged out to the left and rifled a pass to Kmet for 19. Fields then hit Darnell Mooney for 6 yards on a screen, and the offense looked to be headed for the end zone.
But the drive stalled after that. On second-and-4, Fields threw incomplete for Mooney in the end zone. He was forced to check it down to Herbert on third down, and the Seahawks brought down the Bears back behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 2.
On the day, Fields went 5-for-7 for 39 yards and an 84.8 rating. The Bears' offensive line struggled to keep the pressure off him, but he did well to get the ball out of his hands and avoid sacks.
Kmet’s absence was noticeable in the preseason opener against the Chiefs. He’s expected to be the Bears’ No. 2 target in the passing game behind Mooney, and Luke Getsy’s offense should allow him to become a field-stretching weapon.
Fields and the first-team offense should get more work in the preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns.
But five days after an uneven showing against the Chiefs, the Bears’ offense was much more functional with Kmet on the field, showing what this passing attack can be when everything comes together.
The most important takeaway from Fields’ first two preseason games is that the Bears’ coaching staff is tailoring the offense to his strengths. Getting Fields out of the pocket not only helps mitigate a shaky offensive line but should allow the second-year quarterback to play with more freedom and confidence.
Preseason games usually tell you little of importance. But Fields and Getsy’s scheme appear to be a good match so far.