Chicago (3-13) made the right call by sitting Justin Fields. He finishes his second year 64 yards short of breaking Lamar Jackson’s single-season record for yards for a QB. However, it is far more important that Fields is 100 percent healthy heading into next season rather than letting him chase an individual milestone.
After the beating Fields took last weekend against Detroit — he was sacked seven times — the franchise needed to protect him at all costs. Per ESPN’s Field Yates, Fields has a sore hip. For a QB whose mobility is paramount to his survival behind a shoddy offensive line, there’s no logical reason to play Fields.
Chicago’s decision to rest its QB of the future is the latest in a string of good luck for the Vikings, who will face Peterman instead. In his first NFL start on November 19, 2017, Peterman had one of the worst games in recent NFL history. He was 6-of-14 for 66 yards, no touchdowns, and five interceptions.
For his career, Peterman hasn’t been much better. He is 1-3 in four career starts with absolutely abysmal numbers: he is 47-of-91 (51.6 percent) for 335 yards, one touchdown, and 10 interceptions. His one win came against the Indianapolis Colts in 2017.
The Vikings are amazingly 12-4 despite having a point differential (-19) that suggests they should be 7-9 or 8-8, per Pro Football Reference.
This season, Minnesota’s been fortunate to face starting QBs Andy Dalton, Teddy Bridgewater, Taylor Heinicke, Mike White, and Matt Ryan’s mummified remains. Speaking of Ryan, it can’t be forgotten that it took the biggest comeback in NFL history (33 points) for the Vikings to beat a tragically inept Indianapolis team.
They’ve also been outclassed in their three highest-profile games.
In road games against Philadelphia (13-3) and Green Bay (8-8) as well as a home game against Dallas (12-4), Minnesota was outscored 105-27.
The Vikings aren’t going to catch any more breaks after their game against Peterman and the Bears. Sunday should be a good day for Minnesota, and it will likely be the last.
