3rd and 12.
7:26 remaining in the game.
Bears holding a 5-point lead, thanks to Khalil Mack’s brilliant sack of Derek Carr on the earlier two-point conversion attempt.
The Raiders were giving the rookie quarterback anything he wanted short of the sticks. (Though a look at the video below will show, outside of a dump-off option in the flat, the Bears did a nice job of running all their routes beyond the line to gain.)
Fields. Mooney. Complete. First down.
Was the game over when this improbable pass was completed? No.
Did it feel over? It sure did.
Justin Fields fires in a throw to convert on 3rd & 12.
Watch how he uses his eyes to try and help open up a hole in the Raiders Sticks coverage just a bit. pic.twitter.com/27v60rcUwv
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 10, 2021
Think about this throw. Arm strength. Intelligence. Savvy. Confidence.
- It is a twenty-yard bullet between two defenders, each with no more than a few yards between themselves and Mooney. Arm strength.
- The throw is made low to the ground to ensure it’s going to be caught by Mooney and nobody else. (How many times do we see a high throw in this scenario go off the hands of the receiver and into the hands of a floating safety?) Intelligence.
- Nate Tice (above) credits Fields’ eyes with opening up the lane for the pass. (I’ll have to take his word for it. It’s hard to decipher anything from this game due to the horrible camera options.) Savvy.
- The quarterback made the throw. Confidence.
