Bears: 5 biggest takeaways from the Week 6 loss vs Vikings

The Chicago Bears lost a lot more than just the football game on Sunday.

2. The future of Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields is cloudy

It happened in the blink of an eye, and just like that, the newest chapter in the never-ending story of the Chicago Bears attempting to find a franchise quarterback may have come to an abrupt end.

One moment, Justin Fields was trying to scramble to the sideline, and the next, he was leaving the field with an injury that he would not return from. The replays did not inspire confidence. Neither did the updates from the sideline.

Since the game ended, preliminary reports have emerged stating that Justin Fields dislocated his right thumb. He attempted to pop it back in but he was unable to grip the ball. His x-rays were negative. He will undergo MRIs to reveal the full extent of the damage.

While it is hopeful that this injury will not end Fields’ season, memories of Jay Cutler’s season-ending thumb injury more than a decade ago inevitably invoke my internal speculation about Fields’ future.

If this were to sideline Justin Fields for the season, it could spell the end of his tenure with the Chicago Bears if they decide to move on from him, the coaching staff, or both.

Then there is the wildcard of Tyson Bagent. If Bagent starts for an extended period of time and wins some games in any fashion, there will be a loud contingent of the fanbase who will turn on the idea of going back to Justin Fields.

The front office and/or the coaching staff could notice and choose to ride that wave of public opinion to save face as well as their own jobs.

Justin Fields’ tenure as the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears has been, if nothing else, a rollercoaster ride of a journey.

If this is where it ends, it will be the biggest what-if in Chicago Bears quarterback history as I cannot shake the feeling that we were just scratching the surface of how great he could be.

I hope he comes back as soon as possible as I want his fate to be decided through his play instead of injury and circumstance.

I still believe in Justin Fields and if it doesn’t work out in Chicago, I would not be surprised at all if he went on to have great success somewhere else. Here’s to a speedy recovery so we can get a proper end and definitive answer to the Justin Fields era.

3. The Chicago Bears defense was not perfect but they were far from bad

For the first time in what feels like years, the Chicago Bears defense posted back-to-back impressive performances.

Against Minnesota, the Bears’ defense played hard, swarmed to the ball, tackled well, sniffed out screens, created turnovers, got off the field on third down, and put a moderate amount of pressure on Kirk Cousins even if they only got home twice.

It feels like an eternity since I’ve listed all of those things when describing a Chicago Bears defense. While they are still a work in progress in the trenches, the arrow is undoubtedly pointing up in every other area of our defense.

A couple of Pro Bowl-level talents added to the defensive line would likely take this group to an impressive level.

Now, in the spirit of good intentions, I’ll give embattled Chicago Beard head coach Matt Eberflus some credit. Ever since he took over for Alan Williams, Eberflus has noticeably increased the frequency of blitzing in order to try and create pressure since the Bears cannot do so with the front four.

It doesn’t always result in sacks but the pressure has improved and it directly contributed to MLB Tremaine Edmunds’ first interception as a Chicago Bear, this time courtesy of a T.J. Edwards blitz.

Good coaches should make adjustments if something isn’t working, but far too often, pride leads to a coach’s downfall.

Credit to Matt Eberflus for putting results before pride. For his sake, I hope his efforts will translate to the win column sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, Eberflus’ urgency and adaptability have yet to extend to Luke Getsy on a consistent basis, as the offensive coordinator continues to make questionable-at-best decisions as the play caller.