Justin Fields blames himself for fumbles that made it close, but says ...

Bears quarterback Justin Fields nearly cost the Bears the game by losing two fourth quarter fumbles on Monday night, but in the end he marched the Bears into range for the game-winning field goal in a 12-10 win over the Vikings. In his postgame comments he ran through the gamut of emotions.

“First off, can’t fumble. Need better ball security on that,” Fields said. “Guys never wavered, so the guys in the locker room, I appreciate them for sticking beside me and believing in me. The defense did a great job by getting the ball back for the last drive and the offense did a great job executing those plays, so it felt great.”

Fields showed on Monday night all the talent that made him a first-round draft pick, and showed why some in Chicago still believe in him as the Bears’ franchise quarterback. He made big plays with his arm and his leg, and in the end he did enough to win.

But those two fumbles, and the fact that the Bears’ offense managed only four field goals, shows why some think the Bears need to draft a new quarterback in April. Fields has five more games this season to show that he can execute the late-game heroics when the Bears need them — but avoid the mistakes that necessitate those late-game heroics.