How has Justin Fields been in 4 starts? And can the defense shut down Tom Brady? 4 questions for the Chicago Bears ahead of their Week 7 game.

After getting off to a .500 start, the Chicago Bears enter a tough Week7 contest against Tom Brady and the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Our team of Bears writers weighs in on four timely topics heading into Sunday afternoon’s game.

1. Aaron Rodgers’ ‘I still own you’ taunt was _______________.

Brad Biggs: The kind of off-the-cuff remark that would generate a little noise if it was anyone other than Rodgers and the rival Packers.

Rodgers has dominated the series, picking up where Brett Favre left off and doing even better, and it largely has been a one-sided affair for three decades now. No one at Halas Hall — from chairman George McCaskey on down — needs a reminder. And this is the kind of otherwise forgettable remark that is going to sting ownership and everyone else. The Bears prioritize beating the Packers and winning division games, and getting over the hump against the Packers has proved difficult. The Bears have won the NFC North from time to time, most recently in 2018, but the vast difference in quarterback play between the two franchises gives the Bears little room for error every time they meet. This is the kind of thing that might stick with McCaskey longer than most others and that’s troubling for those he employs.

Colleen Kane: A good piece of drama in the rivalry.

I get how irritating it was for Bears fans to see Rodgers at Soldier Field rubbing his success in their faces. But I’m not one to hate on celebrations, especially ones that seem to be unscripted and filled with real emotion. Was it classy? No. But it’s Bears-Packers. We can drop the pretense of everybody showing class in these games. Bears fans can give Rodgers the double bird. Rodgers can remind them of his dominance. Bears tight end and lifelong fan Cole Kmet said it well on Wednesday: “I mean, let’s face it, he’s not totally wrong. He’s been pretty successful against the Bears in his career, so it’s on us to kind of change that narrative going forward.” And if Rodgers’ words add to the Bears’ motivation next time around, all the better for them.

Dan Wiederer: Amusing. And great theater.

Look, people have been talking about that jibe for the whole week, a clear indication that it left a bruise on Bears fans. The Bears’ best hope for changing the direction of the rivalry might require Rodgers to bolt from Green Bay after this season. As it stands, the Bears will get another crack at the Packers in Week 14 at Lambeau Field. Don’t like the trash talk? Do something about it. For the rest of the football world, it was a nice slice of entertainment.

2. Over his first four starts, Justin Fields has been _______________.

Biggs: About what you would expect from a rookie quarterback.

Fields certainly has not been very different than the other quarterbacks in his draft class. What Fields has done a better job of is taking care of the football. He has limited turnovers — only three interceptions and has not lost a fumble — and that is paramount for an offense struggling to score points. But the Bears are last in the league in passing yards, last in yards per attempt and are starved for explosive plays. Fields is taking too many sacks, especially ones for big yardage, and that’s making it difficult to sustain drives. As he grows, he will become more comfortable in the pocket and develop a better sense of when receivers are coming open. He needs to be more proficient in the play-action passing game and the coaching staff may have to open things up to have a chance to hang in there against the Buccaneers.

Kane: A growing rookie.

Fields has had good and bad moments while completing 53 of 99 passes for 632 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, and that’s OK for a first-year player who came into an offense that had troubles long before the Bears drafted him. Bears coaches this week praised Fields’ growth in his second- and third-level progressions, his increased communication with his teammates and his improved play speed. They also like how he accepts criticism and learns from his mistakes, which have included taking 18 sacks for 163 yards lost, some at key moments in the loss to the Packers. Fields has been honest about his play, saying this week he needs to be better at stacking positive plays and not making bad plays worse. Bumps along the way are to be expected, and for now, it’s about measuring the weekly progress.

Wiederer: Growing.

Little by little, Fields is making progress. He’s showing an ability to get through his progressions and gaining a greater understanding of the defensive looks and disguises NFL opponents will throw at him. He’s learning to appreciate the substantially elevated degree of difficulty between college and the pros. On Wednesday, he acknowledged the need to sustain drives through consistent productivity rather than relying on an occasional spark. “You’ve got to put drives together rather just having a good play here and a good play there,” Fields said. “If you have a bad play in college, it’s easy to get that yardage you just lost (back on) the next play. In the NFL, it’s not as easy.” Statistically, Fields’ development isn’t showing up yet. But the strides he’s making, while small, are still significant. And his steadiness within the process has been notable.

3. Against the Buccaneers and Tom Brady, the Bears defense must _______________.

Biggs: Make Brady uncomfortable and find a way to generate an extra possession or two for the offense.

Brady is moving amazingly in the pocket for being 44 and the Bucs are third in the league in sacks allowed per pass play. The Bears pass rush has been very good but Robert Quinn’s status is murky as he’s on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Somehow, the Bears have to mesh the pass rush with coverage, eliminating Brady’s first read, and force the ball to come out early while getting hits on him. Otherwise, with the multitude of skill position players the Bucs have, this could be a long afternoon at Raymond James Stadium.

Kane: Slow down the NFL’s top-ranked passing attack.

The Bears don’t have any receivers with 400 yards receiving this season. Brady already has three — Chris Godwin (34 catches for 409 yards), Mike Evans (31 catches for 420 yards) and Antonio Brown (29 catches for 418 yards). And that’s not to mention Leonard Fournette, who has 332 yards rushing and 213 yards receiving. It’s the most difficult of three straight challenges for the Bears defense after facing Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers the previous two weeks. The Bears missed a few key tackles against the Packers — and didn’t force any turnovers — and that type of performance doesn’t seem as if it’s going to cut it against the Buccaneers, especially if the Bears offense still is trying to find consistency.

Wiederer: Pray for rain?

That might be the best hope to keep Sunday’s game at Raymond James Stadium from getting out of hand. The Buccaneers have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, and the Bears offense hasn’t shown any evidence that it will be capable of keeping up. There’s a reason the reigning Super Bowl champions are such heavy favorites. But the Bears defense is hardly a pushover and has been playing well most of this season. The Bears must find a way to keep the pass rush humming. They must limit the number of explosive plays they allow. And somewhere along the line, they will need to take the ball away, likely needing multiple takeaways and perhaps even a score to keep an upset bid alive.

4. The biggest surprise with the Bears so far is _______________.

Biggs: Robert Quinn’s bounce-back season.

Quinn’s 5½ sacks have been a wonderful development for a defense that badly needed his presence a year ago. Quinn hasn’t just been a force off the edge against the pass, he has been a stout run defender, which has allowed defensive coordinator Sean Desai to get creative with his calls. It’s a surprise from the standpoint that Quinn looked done a year ago and if it were not for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott returning from a gruesome injury suffered a year ago, Quinn might be the frontrunner for comeback player of the year.

Conversely, the lack of volume (and therefore production) by wide receiver Allen Robinson has been surprising. He remains in his prime and has put up big numbers in his career playing with the likes of Mitch Trubisky and Blake Bortles. So with Robinson at 21 receptions for 234 yards and one touchdown entering Week 7, that’s concerning.

Kane: Khalil Herbert on offense, Robert Quinn on defense and Bill Lazor calling plays by Week 4.

Herbert is a surprise success because David Montgomery’s knee injury and Damien Williams’ trip to the COVID-19 list gave him an unexpected opportunity. With help from the Bears offensive line, Herbert, a sixth-round pick, rushed for 75 yards and 97 yards in his first two games in a bigger role. From the way coaches were talking in training camp — and his history — I suspected Quinn might be able to bounce back from last season’s disappointment, but it still has been noteworthy to see the impact he has had while totaling 5½ sacks in the first six weeks. And as for Lazor, knowing how difficult it was last year for coach Matt Nagy to give up play calling, I didn’t expect him to hand it over so soon to Lazor, even if it was a necessary move after the Cleveland Browns debacle.

Wiederer: Their commitment to the running game and success establishing it.

Since the Week 3 disaster in Cleveland, the Bears have averaged 34 rushing attempts and 154 yards per game. They had success with David Montgomery as the lead back. And they have minimized Montgomery’s absence with encouraging performances the last two weeks from Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert. The offensive line — with help from the tight ends and receivers — has taken pride in setting a tone up front. And the results on the ground have been encouraging. Still, in order to have success with the running attack, the Bears must find ways to own the line of scrimmage while also keeping the score within reach. Neither task will be easy against the Buccaneers, who have a nasty front seven and the league’s best rushing defense.

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