Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy pushed back on the notion that quarterback Justin Fields should sit out the Bears’ last two games of the season, calling it ‘‘not realistic’’ because the experience Fields will be getting trumps the inherent risk of injury any quarterback faces. And a short-handed supporting cast still gives Fields a chance to learn and grow.
‘‘Every opportunity and every experience we can expose him to will create a better version of him,’’ Getsy said. ‘‘Anytime anybody experiences something for the first time, you handle it better the next time and the third time and the fourth time and the fifth time.
‘‘I think the experiences he’s getting are invaluable. That’s why the mention of him not playing is not realistic, unless we felt like he was in harm’s way . . . like when he was injured before.’’
In his first season as an NFL offensive coordinator, Getsy has been consistent in his obsession with the process. No matter how bad the numbers look — whether it’s Fields’ league-low 154.8 passing yards per game or the Bears’ 50 sacks allowed — Getsy’s core belief stays the same. It’s all about ‘‘reps, reps, reps’’ and incremental progress.
That flies in Year 1, especially with Fields having shown enough progress to establish himself as a quarterback to build around. So it’s no surprise that Getsy can’t wait to see what Fields will do Sunday against the Lions at Ford Field and Jan. 8 against the Vikings at Soldier Field.
‘‘There’s a tremendous amount that he can grow,’’ Getsy said. ‘‘Division games. Going into a playoff atmosphere this week. One of the most important things that we’re trying to get done this year is create as many experiences and opportunities to expose him to. So we’re going against two really good opponents to finish this thing off. We’re excited about him having the opportunity to go out and do it again.’’
From a developmental standpoint, Fields could use a more level playing field than he has had the last two weeks. He was sacked six times against the Eagles in Week 15 and was held to 130 total yards against the Bills on Saturday (119 passing and 11 rushing). It was his lowest total in a game since Week 2 against the Packers, when he passed for 70 yards and rushed for 20 at Lambeau Field.
But Fields will be facing two of the worst defenses in the NFL — statistically — in the last two weeks. The Lions are last in the NFL in points and yards allowed. They allowed 570 yards in a loss Saturday to the Panthers, the most yards allowed in regulation this season. The Vikings are 28th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed.
The game Sunday will be a good measurement for Fields. He had one of his best games of the season against the Lions in Week 10 at Soldier Field, throwing for 167 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 147 yards and two more. But a late pick-six by Jeff Okudah greased the skids for a 31-30 loss.
The Lions, who were 3-6 after that game, were just getting started. They won six of seven to reach .500 (7-7) before losing Saturday. But they’re still in playoff contention, which only adds to the atmosphere Fields will play in Sunday.
‘‘It’s huge,’’ Getsy said. ‘‘That’s where we want to be. We want to be in those important moments, playing these games. This is a really good opportunity for these guys to see it. Playing two caliber teams we just played [the Eagles and Bills] and then two caliber teams we’re about to play, this is why we do what we do.’’
