All season, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has harped on the need for his offense to stretch the field vertically in the passing game.
Quarterback Justin Fields has echoed a similar sentiment and has the arm talent to beat teams deep.
The Bears have the weapons needed to carry out such a plan.
And yet, through 15 games, the Bears’ offense has been unable to consistently attack teams vertically.
The Bears rank 24th in passes of 20-plus yards this season.
The teams below them are a who’s who of franchises with quarterback issues (Giants, Broncos, Steelers, Cardinals, Patriots, Jets, Raiders, Panthers).
Fields’ performance is what matters most for the Bears right now.
The former first-round pick is under pressure to thrive because the Bears are in line for the No. 1 overall pick by way of the Carolina Panthers.
The Bears could draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, select a difference-maker elsewhere on offense, or trade the pick to collect more draft assets.
The latter two options would happen if the franchise has enough confidence in Fields to be its long-term option at quarterback.
Fields did not have the flashiest stat lines of Week 16, but he was effective with the ball in his hand.
He led the Bears on three scoring drives in the first half and finished off the contest in the second half with a few key runs and throws.
Fields will still be under the microscope in Weeks 17 and 18, but in the last few weeks, he has done enough to build a strong case for keeping him for another season or two.
Cole Kmet was the standout star of the passing game during the Bears’ 21-point first-half surge.
Kmet caught four passes for 107 yards, with his longest catch being a 53-yard reception that broke the game open.
The 53-yard play came on the first play of the second series and it allowed the Bears to score their first touchdown of the day through Fields.
Kmet came up with three other catches, all of which occurred on the next Bears scoring drives.
Unfortunately, Kmet suffered a knee injury on his fourth catch, but he was able to make a massive impact on the contest before he was ruled out.
Kmet has at least four catches in the last four games and he proved that the Bears have two solid options in himself and D.J. Moore to either add to in the first round of the draft, or for a new quarterback to feel comfortable with immediately.
