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The Chicago Bears entered Week 2 of the preseason with the quarterback battle taking center stage. The Bears saw Justin Fields dazzle the home crowd in the team’s opening game, while presumed starter Andy Dalton struggled. It’ll be hard to stop the growing calls to see Fields take over as the starter when the games matter, but the Bears appear set to maintain the course with Dalton. Week 2 will provide additional clue as to how Chicago views the position.
Week 2 preseason reps, stats
Andy Dalton - 11/17, 146 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Justin Fields - 9/19, 80 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 4 rushes, 46 yards
Who has the edge in the QB battle entering Week 3 of the 2021 NFL preseason?
The Bears seem determined to push Dalton as the team’s starter, giving him the entire first half of the game against Buffalo. The veteran was solid, completing 64.7 percent of his passes and threw for a touchdown, although WR Rodney Adams was probably more responsible for that score. Dalton also threw an interception in the outing.
Fields had an up-and-down day, but the biggest concern was a few hits the rookie took. The Ohio State star did have some nice runs, reminding fans of his ability to make plays with his legs. Fields still has some issues to clean up, as most rookies do, but the fans continue to push for him to be the starter. For now, it looks like Dalton is the clear starter and the Bears are content to bring Fields along slowly.