Justin Fields sticks up for rookie receiver after costly mistake in Week 11
The Chicago Bears made many mistakes during their Week 11 loss to the Detroit Lions but one major mistake was made late in the game by one of the team's rookies. The mistake was made with less than three minutes remaining with the Bears leading by five points over the Lions. The Bears went for […]
The Chicago Bears made many mistakes during their Week 11 loss to the Detroit Lions but one major mistake was made late in the game by one of the team's rookies.
The mistake was made with less than three minutes remaining with the Bears leading by five points over the Lions. The Bears went for the kill shot on 3rd-and-9 but the deep ball was unfortunately dropped by Tyler Scott, killing the drive that could have put the game away.
Following the loss, Bears quarterback Justin Fields made sure to offer support to his young pass catcher while speaking with the media on Wednesday.
"He knows one play and one game is not going to define if I go back to him," Fields said. "I don't care if you keep dropping the ball because we have our own individual responsibility to help this team be successful. The receivers open, I'm gonna throw him the ball and if he drops it, it's his responsibility to catch the ball. So yeah, I'm not losing faith in him. I'm gonna keep going back to him."
"He's gonna be a great receiver," Fields added. "He has a lot of room to grow and he's talented even now. He's made a lot of plays for us this year. Offense, special teams, and with his speed, not many defensive backs can keep up with him. He had a tough game, but I mean, we've all had tough games."
The drop was definitely a costly mistake in the grand scheme of things but Fields is absolutely right and it's great to see him lifting up his young teammate. It's easy for a young receiver to let such a mistake get into their own head and snowball into more mistakes down the line. However, by coming out and voicing his faith and support, Fields can help Scott get back on track after the game.
Scott, being a young receiver, certainly doesn't have everything mastered and will make some mistakes as he continues to play, as will all rookies, no matter the position. How he learns from his mistakes will be what defines him as a player going forward.
Scott wasn't the only player who made errors in the team's loss to the Lions and shouldn't be facing the bulk of the attention following the game. Fields noted on Wednesday that there's multiple things the team needs to clean up going forward as they go into their second matchup of the season against the Minnesota Vikings.
The last time the two squared off in Week 6 was the game in which Fields injured his thumb and missed the final moments of the game. The Bears ultimately fell 19-13 in another game riddled with mishaps.
"I felt like we made too many mental mistakes last time we played them," Fields said. "We're better than that. We're better than what we put on tape that game. So, we're putting our best foot forward and making sure we're on our P's & Q's each and every play.
Scott has played a considerable amount of the team's offensive snap counts this season and will continue to be relied upon to make plays over the final six games. He will have his opportunity to redeem himself on Monday night against the Vikings.
The Bears rookie has 10 receptions for 81 yards along with 6 carries for 44 yards on the ground in 2023. Scott has also returned 5 kickoffs for an average of 21.6 return yards during his rookie campaign.
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