The Chicago Bears are now 3-8 and remain in last place in the NFC North after a 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The offense could not lead the team to a win in the final minutes, and quarterback Justin Fields took a lot of the blame for the defeat.
In the locker room after the game, Fields apologized for the offense not being able to seal the deal, according to The MMQB's Albert Breer. The second-year signal-caller explained that the defense gave the Bears a chance to win, but the offense did not do enough.
Breer said that his understanding was that Fields' teammates stopped him as he was concluding and told him that they had his back. Still, the apology went a long way with the team, per Breer, especially after Fields played through an injury.
Fields certainly did not have the greatest game against the Falcons, but he was far from the only one at fault. The fact that he was willing to take ownership of his shortcomings showed the maturity of the 23-year-old, and his teammates' response was a credit to the team-wide culture under first-year coach Matt Eberflus.
Fields completed 14 of his 21 passes for 153 yards with one touchdown and one interception compared to 85 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. It was still an admirable performance considering he hurt his left shoulder during the game, but played through the injury, according to NFL Media.
After the report of Fields' apology, many pointed out how different Fields' approach was from fellow young quarterback Zach Wilson, who also lost this week, but did not own up to his contributions to the defeat. The New York Jets lost, 10-3, to the New England Patriots in a game that was embarrassing for both offenses.
Wilson went 9-for-22 for 77 yards, no touchdowns and only six first downs in a key divisional matchup. It was a dreadful outing in what's been a mediocre start to a career for the 2021 No. 2 overall pick.
When asked if he felt like he let down the defense, which held the Patriots to just three points (their sole touchdown was on special teams), Wilson gave a confident "no." Wilson not taking accountability "didn't sit well" with the Jets defense, according to ESPN.