Chicago Bears are set to make change at quarterback for Thanksgiving Day game
Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields is dealing with a rib injury he suffered during their close loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Chicago is set to face off this Thursday, on Thanksgiving, against the Detroit Lions. And head coach Matt Nagy fears Fields will not be ready in time for the game. So, with that being the case, the Bears are set to start veteran Andy Dalton against the Lions.
Fields left the game early in the third quarter after taking a shot to his ribs while trying to scramble to pick up the first down. The former Ohio State Buckeye left the game with the Bears down 6-0. Dalton took over on the next drive and wasted little time driving Chicago down the field for the touchdown and the lead.
The good news for the Bears is that the initial test on Field’s ribs did not reveal any breaks. The Bears rookie quarterback is expected to undergo further testing on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.
Dalton had a solid outing in replacing Fields. He finished the game completing 11 of his 23 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. His last touchdown was a 49-yard pass to Marquis Goodwin to take a 13-9 lead, with less than two minutes to go in the game. Unfortunately, the Bears’ defense could not prevent the Ravens’ offense from scoring; although they were without former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, Baltimore was able to drive 72 yards in five plays to score the game-winning touchdown and win 16-13.
The Bears are starting to get restless
At the press conference after the game, Chicago defensive lineman Robert Quinn was visibly frustrated with yet another loss in a winnable game. When asked about the loss to the Ravens, Quinn had this to say.
The Bears are in the middle of a five-game losing streak. And aside from their 38- 3 beat down at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago has been competitive. Their last two games have been lost by a combined five points to two of the better teams in the AFC North in the Pittsburgh Steelers in Baltimore Ravens.
Matt Nagy and the Chicago Bears will need to put it all together and come up with a win against their division rival, the winless Lions. If Chicago can come up with the win on Thanksgiving, it will help keep their slim playoff hopes alive. And in order for them to get the win, Dalton will need to play as he did in his younger days for the Cincinnati Bengals.