This You Gotta See: Justin Fields meets the Packers; Sky shoot for the confetti

An ugly day against the Packers can cast a Bears quarterback in a harsh light. An ugly stretch of games against the Packers, covering multiple seasons, can wreck a Bears quarterback’s reputation.

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Chicago Bears v Las Vegas Raiders

It’s Fields’ first Packers week. There’s nothing else like it for a Bears QB.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Two quarterbacks loomed larger than any other freshmen as the 2018 college football season came into view: Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields.

One, Clemson’s Lawrence, would beat out returning starter Kelly Bryant and lead the Tigers to a national championship. The other, Georgia’s Fields, would fail to beat out returning starter Jake Fromm and play pretty much only in garbage time.

A year later, having transferred to Ohio State, Fields didn’t officially nail down the starting job with the Buckeyes — beating out a graduate transfer who’d been a backup at Kentucky — until late in training camp, frustrating coach Ryan Day.

From there — belatedly — Fields’ career took off. 

Here in Bears country, most of us seem to have our minds made up that the team’s new QB1 is the franchise cornerstone we’ve been waiting for. Maybe he is. But he still has a mountain to climb before he proves he’s as good as — or better than — Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance, the quarterbacks taken before him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. And Fields isn’t even a blip on the radar compared with Packers superstar Aaron Rodgers, whom he’ll oppose for the first time Sunday at Soldier Field.

An ugly day against the Packers can cast a Bears quarterback in a harsh light. An ugly stretch of games against the Packers, covering multiple seasons, can wreck a Bears quarterback’s reputation. That’s the danger Fields has inherited.

Lots of luck, kid.

And here’s what’s happening:

SUN 17

Dolphins vs. Jaguars (8:30 a.m., Ch. 2)

Look, the Fins and Jags may have a combined record of 1-9, but just think about it: They’re the best two American football teams in all of England.

Packers at Bears (noon, Fox-32)

Is this an elite Bears defense or isn’t it? And against Aaron Rodgers, does it even matter?

WNBA Finals - Game Three

Stefanie Dolson and the Sky are on the brink of glory.

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Mercury at Sky, Game 4 (2 p.m., ESPN)

One more “W,” and the Sky have their first-ever WNBA title. Watch and learn, Bulls.

Cowboys at Patriots (3:25 p.m., Ch. 2)

How long ago was Dallas’ last victory over New England? Put it this way: Troy Aikman and Drew Bledsoe were the quarterbacks. 

Dodgers at Braves, Game 2 (6:37 p.m., TBS)

Truist Park was supposed to host the 2021 All-Star Game. Instead, it hosts a National League Championship series foe that’s essentially an all-star team.

MON 11

Astros at Red Sox, Game 3 (7:07 p.m., FS1)

Houston already made easy work of one Sox team during these playoffs. Something tells us you knew that already.

Bills at Titans (7:15 p.m., ESPN)

With cornerback Josh Norman now playing in San Francisco, which Bills defender has the guts to step forward and be stiff-armed into oblivion by Titans running back Derrick Henry?

TUE 19

E60: A Love Story (6 p.m., ESPN2)

A devastating diagnosis of ALS has tested — and deepened — the unlikely romance between a high school wrestling coach and the daughter of a former NHL superstar.

Nets at Bucks (6:30 p.m., TNT)

Two expected title contenders go at it in the NBA season opener, but, wait, where’s Kyrie Irving? We’ll do some “research” and get back to you.

Islanders at Blackhawks (7p.m., ESPN)

Not to tell Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton how to do his job, but perhaps he can employ a strategy that involves playing defense in the opening minutes of the game.

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (9 p.m., HBO)

Segments include one on the “modern-day gold rush” as college athletes begin to profit — legally, for a change — after a landmark ruling by the NCAA.

New Orleans Pelicans v Chicago Bulls

Bulls’ Ball: baller.

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

WED 20

Bulls at Pistons (6 p.m., NBCSCH)

Zach LaVine. Nikola Vucevic. DeMar DeRozan. Lonzo Ball. The fun of a new season officially begins. At least, we think it’s going to be fun. Please let this be fun.

THU 21

Canucks at Blackhawks (7:30 p.m., NBCSCH)

Man, this was one heck of a rivalry back in the day. Of course, it doesn’t hurt when both teams involved are actually good.

FRI 22

Pelicans at Bulls (7 p.m., NBCSCH)

These are two of the most reworked rosters in the NBA. If you’ve watched the Pels and Bulls in recent seasons, you know that’s probably not a bad thing for either team.

Suns at Lakers (9 p.m., ESPN)

Anybody remember LeBron James and Anthony Davis? They used to be really good until an upstart team from Phoenix knocked them out in the first round of the playoffs.

SAT 23

Northwestern at Michigan (11 a.m., Fox-32)

The Wildcats are just kind of hanging around at 3-3, but they always seem to be good for one or two upsets nobody saw coming.

USC at Notre Dame (6:30 p.m., Ch. 5)

There have been better Trojans and Irish teams, no doubt, but few sights in college football can match these two uniforms sharing a field under the lights. Especially when football players are wearing them.

The Latest
Four from North Central have combined to capture six national titles since the program’s inception, and six are scheduled to compete next month in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Penn State.
The Bulls have 13 games left in the regular season and an opportunity to break even when they visit the Rockets on Thursday.
“Joakim [Noah] is very driven and motivated,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He’s all about the team, about winning. You can put Coby and Ayo into that category in terms of how they view things.”
Maybe Fields will develop with the Steelers, become a franchise star. It’s more likely he’ll be an updated Mitch Trubisky.