Andy Dalton might regret hoping Bears fans will be loud vs. Bengals

Quarterback Andy Dalton wasn’t terrible in his Chicago Bears debut last Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite a costly interception in the end zone and scoring a mere 14 points, there were some encouraging signs from Chicago’s offense in the loss.

One of the positives was rookie quarterback Justin Fields, who played five reps in his NFL debut. He completed both of his passes and scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown, which left fans clamoring for more.

The Bears will be looking for their first win of the season when the Bengals come to town for Chicago’s home opener on Sunday, where Dalton is hoping fans will be loud when the opposing team takes the field.

“A lot of excited fans get to be back at Soldier Field,” Dalton said. “We’re excited for this home field advantage. Hopefully they’ll be loud and make it hard for the offense for the Bengals when they’re out there.”

The expectation is Bears fans will certainly be loud on Sunday, but perhaps not in the way Dalton hopes. After all, this is the same group that booed Dalton in the second preseason game and chanted “Justin Fields” when the starting offense was struggling.

“The fans are awesome, but they also have to realize Andy is a human being too,” Fields said following the second preseason game. “Andy is out there on the field right now, so I really think it’s kind of disrespectful to Andy, them cheering my name like that. They have to trust in coach to make sure he’s making the right decisions and cheer Andy on.

“That’s not helping Andy play better, them cheering my name. That’s not doing that. So I would say my advice to them would be just cheer for who’s out there playing on the field.”

With Fields expected to see more reps in a small package of plays against the Bengals, fans are going to go absolutely crazy when he steps onto the field, showering him with applause. But they’ll also likely let Matt Nagy (and Dalton) how they feel when Fields exits the field after a given rep.

And should Dalton and the starting offense struggle? Well, the boo birds are going to rain down on Dalton. Even though it’s not Dalton who deserves it, he’s going to be the one receiving them.

So Dalton will likely get his wish for a raucous home crowd at Soldier Field. But be careful what you wish for, Andy.

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