3 and Out: Justin Fields provides highlights, but Bears fall to Steelers, 29-27

After Justin Fields helped engineer a brief 27-26 lead with under two minutes remaining, Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell hit a 40-yard field goal to ultimately push the Steelers to a 29-27 victory in stunning fashion on Monday Night Football. Here’s what you need to know:

Three moments that mattered

1. The finish: After Fields led his team down for what could’ve been a game-winning touchdown, his defense, with about a minute left, failed to complete the comeback. The Bears allowed Pittsburgh to go 52 yards to set-up the game-winning goal by Bosworth with 26 seconds left. The Bears had one last chance, but a 65-yard field goal attempt by Cairo Santos ended things, including his streak of 40 consecutive field goals made.

2. QB1: Fields led the Bears down for a 75-yard scoring drive – highlighted by a gorgeous 39-yard reception by Allen Robinson. Fields capped the 1:06 drive with a 16-yard touchdown to Darnell Mooney to take a 27-26 lead with 1:16 left. Fields was drafted to be special and he certainly was in the moment he needed to be.

3. The taunt: This might become a trivia question one day. On third-and-7 with 3:48 remaining, Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh roared in for a sack. Following the play, he somehow was penalized for a taunt, which gave the Steelers a new set of downs. The Bears later forced a field goal to make it a six-point game.

Three things that worked

1. Fields: For all the analysis of his play – some of it inconsistent, some of it brilliant – Fields showed his special potential Monday. Their seven-play drive to take the initial lead with about a minute left was exactly the reason why he was drafted. A 17-for-29, 291-yard effort after the way the offense began the game was extraordinary. It was a big step for his confidence moving forward.

2. Coverage sack: Irregardless of the incredibly questionable taunting call on Marsh with 3:40 remaining in the game, the Bears defense – sans three starters – turned in a very commendable effort to turn away the Steelers offense and force a field goal to make it 26-20. On that drive, it forced two sacks. After collapses against San Francisco and Green Bay, the faith Ryan Pace afforded them with not making deals at the deadline was rewarded.

3. Roquan Smith: Smith had a quiet performance against San Francisco last week, but rebounded with a healthy 12 tackles and a sack that was critical in stalling a drive after Jakeem Grant’s fumble on a kick return. Smith totaled double-digit tackles for the seventh time this season.

Three things that didn’t

1. Defensive finish: There’s no other way to write it: penalties and all – some deserved, some not – the Bears defense needed a stop and reward its maligned offense for what was initially a potential game-winning drive – and it failed them. The Steelers got just enough at the end to hit a field goal and that was all the difference.

2. Jakeem Grant: Grant was acquired in a trade to provide a spark to the return game, but he’s arguably been more of a hinderance than anything. Grant opts for odd decisions deep in the end zone, many times being tackled before the 25-yard-line. The fumbled kickoff was saved by the Bears’ defense to force a punt, but that was arguably a game-changing play.

3. Phantom call: Fields hit Jimmy Graham for a touchdown with 9:19 in the third quarter, which would’ve made it a likely four-point game at that point, but James Daniels was flagged for a phantom low block attempt on TJ Watt, who he didn’t appear to actually touch. Fields later couldn’t buy a potential roughing call on a scramble and the Bears had to settle for a field goal to make it 14-6. The officials did not have a great night, partially evidenced by the 12-to-5 disparity, which the Steelers benefited from.

What’s next?

The Bears are off on their bye week. They’ll return Nov. 21 against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.