The pressure is growing on Bears rookie QB Justin Fields, who is going into the 49ers game

Justin Fields ’freshman year with Bears is going to be full of first-timers, and he’s already had them.

But here’s the new one: for the first time, he’s under considerable pressure. All the patience typical of beginners has waned after a series of devastating performances that left Bears below 0.500 and raised their stakes in their Sunday 49ers game.

It has been at this very time in the last two years that the Bears season broke down, and it certainly looks like they have arrived at that stage again. Which direction it turns next depends on Fields.

He gained room for maneuver over the past two weeks as he faced all-time highs in Packers ’Aaron Rodgers and Buccaneers’ Tom Brady, but tolerance is low if he stumbles against a mid-49ers defense.

In the last two games, Fields threw one touchdown and four breaks, gave a 58.4 pitcher rating and lost two fumbles, losing a combined score of 62-17. These were the fourth and fifth starts of his career, but he is nearing the end of the rookie runway. It’s time to leave, but how?

“Just play better,” Fields said. “It’s that simple.”

It’s boring, but he’s right. As obvious as it is to say, he really needs a good game.

And the 49ers offer a chance.

They’re not Lions, but they’re 21st in goal scoring in defense, 20th in the opponent’s pitcher rankings, 17th in the opponent’s finish percentage, and have only one interception of 194 passes against them. They also rank 21st in the opponent’s yards per Rush, so Fields should have a reliable running game that works in his favor.

Nevertheless, they are likely to look at bears in the same way.

They have scored the NFL’s third-lowest score of 14.4 per game and are one of two teams that have not yet broken 25 in a match.

“We’re very close to a breakout match,” Fields said. “We just need to put together little plays … We’re close.”

Fortunately, his enthusiasm is still enough to make people want to believe him. His talent is undeniable. But in the midst of coaching disruptions, offensive line battles, and his own mistakes, it’s not translated into dynamic performance.

Not only is he last in the league in the passer ranking at 61.8, he has also not achieved many runners, 20 yards per game. According to Pro Football Reference, almost 25% of his passes have been out of goal. Granted, it’s hard when he’s been pressured in 26 percent of his playoffs and has broken the league record 22 times.

But in honor of Fields, none of these seem to stop him. He responded fiercely to the Buccaneers ’38-3 knockout and continues to look at his and the crime’s failures clinically.

“No matter how many crosses I throw, no matter how many Ls we take, I’m going to continue,” he said. “It’s just a fact. And that’s just me. Never stop.”

It would be better to stop all the choices and Ls sooner or later, but he did his thing. His composure is truly an asset in this scenario, and his mentality conveys confidence throughout Halas Hall at a time when the Bears are desperately longing for it.

“If [bad performance] makes you be different, it becomes a long career, ”attack coordinator Bill Lazor said. – There will be a lot of ups and downs in this game. His stability is the right way. “

But it has to lead to something. Fields has consistently done the right thing, whether it’s Matt Matt’s attachment to Andy Dalton as a starter or enduring offensive line struggles. At some point, however, behind the scenes of his intelligent movements, it must be translated into a great performance on the central stage.