Fields' absence felt by Bears in blowout loss vs. Jets

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- Justin Fields has been the rising tide to lift all the Bears' boats this season. Even when the Bears' defense was getting torched by the Dolphins, roasted by the Cowboys, and ripped apart by the Lions, Fields gave the Bears a chance to win.

With Fields inactive Sunday with a separated left shoulder, the Bears had little chance to overcome the talent gap at MetLife Stadium. Backup quarterback Trevor Siemian acquitted himself well in the first half as the Bears jumped out to an early 10-7 lead. But the good feelings didn't last as the Jets finished the game with 24 unanswered points to win 31-10 in a deluge at the Meadowlands.

Fields' absence was felt on both sides of the ball Sunday in East Rutherford. When things started going south, the Bears didn't have Fields to steady them and stop the bleeding.

“It’s different when you don’t have your best player on the field," defensive tackle Justin Jones said after the loss. "We’re missing [Eddie Jackson]. We’re missing [Fields]. Just morale-wise, especially offensively, having a guy like [Fields] back there is a little bit different. It’s tough. When we get injuries, it’s tough.”

Over the past month, Fields and the Bears' rushing attack have done a great job of answering the bell. Fields and the Bears' offense rolled over the New England Patriots, put up 30 on a good Cowboys defense, went toe-to-toe with the Dolphins, and had game-winning drive chances against the Lions and Falcons.

Fields' special play-making ability would have been especially useful Sunday at MetLife Stadium once the downpour started.

But with Fields on the sideline, the Bears' bread and butter was neutered.

“We’re a really good run offense with the pairing of Justin and D-Mo," wide receiver Chase Claypool said. "Justin is out. In a game where it’s pouring rain, we’d like to go to our strength. Trev did a really good job despite the circumstances.”

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Fields came out for warm-ups about 90 minutes before kick-off and threw some light passes but was eventually ruled out.

The Bears will continue to take things day-by-day with Fields, and head coach Matt Eberflus said there's a chance the second-year quarterback will return in Week 13 when the Green Bay Packers come to Solider Field.

Fields wasn't the only star the Bears missed Sunday. Safety Eddie Jackson left the game in the second quarter with a left foot injury. After the loss, he was seen leaving the Bears' locker room in a walking boot. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney had his ankle rolled up on in the third quarter. He was unable to put weight on his foot and was carried to the locker room. 

The mounting injuries to key players could start to have a cumulative effect on the Bears as the season winds down. Eventually, the body blows are too much to overcome.

"I think the morale is still there, but obviously when you’ve got a lot of young guys, we’re missing Eddie, we’re missing [Jaquan Brisker], we’re missing [Kyler Gordon], we’re missing J-Fields, we’re missing a lot of guys, a lot of key pieces to our team right now. So, that’s just tough. Like I said, it’s next man up. We practice together. We go through everything where everybody’s in the same meetings together, so we have to be prepared for when your number’s called."

Getting Fields back next Sunday would be a boost. He's the ultimate difference-maker for a team in Year 0 of a rebuild. In his absence, there's a void the Bears are unable to fill. That makes their chances of competing against teams with more talented rosters very, very slim.

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