What we learned as Jets blowout Bears without Fields originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- The expectations were low for the Bears on Sunday with quarterback Justin Fields sidelined with a separated left shoulder. But Sunday's game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium might have been the worst possible outcome.
Not only did the Bears get trucked 31-10 on a rainy day at the Meadowlands, but they also lost safety Eddie Jackson and wide receiver Darnell Mooney to injury.
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Backup quarterback Trevor Siemian fought through a pregame oblique injury to start in place of Fields but was relatively ineffective after a strong start.
The Bears hung around for a half before the Jets' talent took over, and New York pulled away to send Chicago to its eighth loss in nine games. Mike White went 22-for-28 for 315 yards and three touchdowns. The Jets gained 467 yards as a team against a Bears' defense that provided little resistance in the second half.
Here’s what we learned in the Bears’ costly 31-10 loss to the Jets:
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QB confusion
Heading into Sunday, it was expected that Fields would be inactive due to his separated left shoulder and that Siemian would start.
The Bears officially ruled Fields out 90 minutes before kick-off but announced Siemian suffered an oblique injury in warm-ups and Nathan Peterman would start.
However, both Siemian and Peterman warmed up with the ones when the Bears took the field before kick-off. With 10 minutes until game time, the Bears announced Siemian “might” start even with the oblique injury.
When the Bears’ offense finally took the field after the Jets’ opening touchdown drive, it was Siemian leading the offense.
Despite the oblique injury, Siemian started hot, going 8-for-11 for 127 yards and a touchdown in the first half to keep the Bears within striking range.
While Siemian played well in the first half, the backup magic wore off quickly against the Jets' defense. Siemian finished the day 14-for-25 for 179 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Costly injuries
The Bears’ defense entered Sunday down two critical members of the secondary, with rookies Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon both out with concussions.
Chicago’s undermanned defense suffered a brutal loss midway through the second quarter when veteran safety Eddie Jackson went down with a non-contact leg injury on a 54-yard touchdown catch by Garrett Wilson.
Jackson limped to the sideline and went directly into the blue medical tent. Jackson was carted to the Bears’ locker room and was immediately ruled out with a foot injury.
The slit-film turf at MetLife Stadium is a notoriously unforgiving surface and has caused numerous leg injuries over the year.
Brisker took to Twitter to ask the NFL to get rid of the turf after Jackson’s injury.
Things went from bad to worse for the Bears on the injury front early in the third quarter when wide receiver Darnell Mooney had to be carried off the field with a left ankle injury. Mooney appeared to get rolled up on during a 13-yard run by David Montgomery.
He could not put any weight on his leg while being helped to the locker room.
No chance without Fields
Give Siemian credit. He played well in the first half and got help from Chase Claypool and Byron Pringle, who made impressive catches early to help the Bears get out to a 10-7 lead.
But the injuries and talent gap started to show up in the second half as the Bears struggled to move the ball on offense and made critical mistakes with a patchwork secondary.
When White hit Elijah Moore for a 22-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter to stretch the lead to 24-10, that was all she wrote.
Fields has been the rising tide making the Bears competitive in most games this season. With him on the sideline in sweats, Jackson and Mooney in the locker room, and Brisker and Gordon at home, the Bears had little chance for a comeback.
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