If Week 14 in the NFL showed us anything, it was that parity and upsets are bound to happen on a near weekly basis. First, on Sunday, Justin Fields led the Chicago Bears to a 28-13 win against division-leading Detroit. Then, Jordan Love and the Packers were upset 24-22 on Monday night against the New York Giants. But for me, the biggest takeaway is how both Fields and Love are setting themselves up for long and successful careers down the road.
Justin Fields: Finally settling in
In a relatively recent article, I mentioned how all 4 teams in the NFC North have a bright future if they are able to stay on the right course. Nothing this past week has changed my mind on that. When it comes to the Chicago Bears; they’ve been able to showcase their ability by going 5-4 in their last 9 games, after a disappointing 0-4 start.
Maybe more importantly, Justin Fields is silencing his doubters by improving his own performance specifically. He’s only thrown 6 interceptions thus far during the season, and his running talent is continuing to improve from last season when he first began to attract the league’s attention. If the Bears can continue to play well, and maybe add a few more needed pieces onto their team, Fields can most certainly become one of the up-and-coming new “faces” of the league.
Jordan Love: Overcoming adversity
Some might be wondering why Love is being praised after the favored Packers lost to a Giants team led by a third-string quarterback. Well, that is because despite not having one of his better games, Love still led the team to a touchdown drive that put them up 22-21 with under two minutes to go. Love often struggled against a defense that forced a fumble and had an interception during the game, but he still was able to put his team in a position to win the game. The way you carry yourself even when you’re having an off-night can be just as important as when you’re firing on all cylinders.
Regardless, despite the setback, Love and the Packers still have been able to turn it around in recent games and are still very much in the hunt for a wild card playoff birth. With a first year quarterback and key injuries on the offensive side of the football, making the playoffs would be an notewothy accomplishment.
NFL Quarterbacks: The future of football
It would be hard to argue against the belief that right now, Patrick Mahomes is the face of the National Football League. He is consistently ranked by many outlets as the league’s best player, and has already garnered 2 Super Bowl rings. But he joins a list with fellow contemporaries such as Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, and others. Young franchise quarterbacks who absolutely have the talent needed to win a championship for their respective franchise.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that both Fields and Love could eventually join that coveted list. Not only that, if they remain with their current teams, they could lead the Bears and Packers into an era where they both are able to compete on a yearly basis for the NFC North crown. With all due respect to Jared Goff and Kirk Cousins, they’re both on the backends of their careers. That puts the Lions and the Vikings at a disadvantage within the division.
Simply put, if they keep up their current play, the future is looking very bright for both Justin Fields and Jordan Love.