Andy Dalton vs. Justin Fields: How QB battle looks after Week 1 preseason game

The Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins linked up at Soldier Field for the first preseason game on a jam-packed Saturday in the NFL. Heading into today’s game, a lot of attention was on the Bears quarterback competition between veteran Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields.

Head coach Matt Nagy named Dalton the starter for Week 1 of the regular season, but Fields has been making strides and a ton of plays in training camp. On Saturday afternoon, both quarterbacks got their chances to take some live in-game snaps against a different team.

Week 1 preseason reps, stats

Andy Dalton —2/4 for 18 yards

Justin Fields — 14/21 for 142 yards, 1 TD; 5 carries for 33 yards, 1 TD

Who has the edge in the QB battle entering Week 2 of the 2021 NFL preseason?

It is too early to say who has the edge in the quarterback battle heading into next week’s preseason game. Dalton only played in two series and did not do anything special. But he also did not do anything damaging either. The starter’s job is to simply not get hurt and just get some live reps.

As for Fields, he made his debut early in the second quarter. He did not have the greatest of field position for his first couple of drives. But towards the end of the first half, the former Ohio State standout led the Bears down the field on a two-minute drive, which led to a Cairo Santos field goal. Fields remained in the game for the third quarter and looked confident on the field. He moved well in the pocket, went through his progressions, and let his instincts take over. Fields also showed good touch on his passes and put the football where only his guys could make a play on it. The Bears couldn’t have asked for much more in a rookie debut.