Justin Fields' running ability has opened up his full arsenal of talents

Justin Fields is playing like the star quarterback the Chicago Bears hoped for when they made him the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Fields broke Michael Vick's rushing record for a quarterback in a regular-season game Sunday, highlighting how much of a threat he's been on the ground. Fields, possessing both speed and power, has produced his biggest rushing numbers in his last four contests (88, 82, 60, and 178 yards), with three touchdowns to boot. He's on pace - alongside Lamar Jackson - to hit the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

"He's unstoppable in the open field," a general manager told me.

At 23, the former Ohio State quarterback is far more than just a rushing threat. During Sunday's 35-32 loss to the Miami Dolphins, he went 17-for-28 passing with three touchdowns and finished with the third-highest passer rating of his career (106.7). In fact, Fields has recorded a passer rating over 100 in three NFL games, and they've all come in the last five weeks.

"I thought the last few weeks he's found a comfort level," the GM said. "He's made some impressive throws. The strong arm - we knew he had in the draft - but now he's putting it together with some more advanced reads and throws. I thought he made some nice touch throws against Miami and New England. He's so tough for defensive linemen and even linebackers outside the pocket."

The NFC North, by nature, is a rugged, cold-weather division. Having a strong-armed, dual-threat quarterback who can push the ball downfield with his arm and legs is the easiest path to success.

"Better decision-making and improved accuracy (from Fields)," former Jets and Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum told me bluntly.

Chicago's offense has averaged 31.3 points per game over the past three weeks. This comes after scoring just 15.5 points per contest through the first six weeks. With Fields bulldozing defenses on the ground along with the surging Khalil Herbert (his 6.0 yards per rush is third-best among running backs this season), the Bears pace the NFL with 195.4 rushing yards per game. Baltimore is second at 168.1.

But that's not even the most impressive part about Fields.

NBC's Peter King reported that Fields' 15 carries against Miami would be expected to gain 65 yards, per NFL's Next Gen Stats. That means Fields went for 113 yards over expectation, much to the dismay of Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. And King reported that 88 of Fields' yards came after contact.

Short yardage

◾️ I don't know what to make of the Frank Reich firing. On the one hand, the Indianapolis Colts have been moderately successful during his tenure: Reich compiled a 40-33-1 record, with three second-place finishes in the AFC South, including one playoff win in 2018. You could do a lot worse (consider division-rival Jacksonville, which is 18-56 in the same span).

Then again, it's been a lackluster year and a half for Indy, highlighted by Sunday's miserable 26-3 road loss to the New England Patriots. Reich's offense managed 121 total yards in the game while failing to convert a single one of its 14 third-down conversions.

"Frank's a good coach," the GM told me. "He's a motivator …

"But Jim (Irsay, the Colts owner) has a vision for what he wants. I don't know if it's the right one, but I do know he doesn't want to wait. … He knows they never should have brought in Matt Ryan. That was a mistake he'll be paying for with his wallet and with more losses."

The Colts acquired Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason after cutting bait on Carson Wentz following one season. The 14-year veteran is owed $12 million in guaranteed money next season and will count for $18 million in dead money on the cap if he's released before next June, according to Over The Cap.

Candidly, I was surprised to learn Irsay went with Jeff Saturday to take over interim coaching responsibilities. Saturday, the former All-Pro center, is one of Peyton Manning's guys. He also has a grand total of zero professional coaching experience. Never before have I seen someone plucked directly from the broadcast studio to the sidelines - at least not as an NFL head coach. It begs the question: Why are protocols like the Rooney Rule in place to help minority coaches get jobs when owners like Irsay pay them no mind? Nothing against Saturday, but no part of me believes this experiment will work - especially in a situation this dire.

In his initial press conference, Irsay said it was a gut feeling to hire Saturday. "Want to bet against this guy? Put your money down. (I'd) love to see it because I know what he's about."

Irsay doubled down by saying: "I'm glad he doesn't have any NFL experience. I'm glad he hasn't learned the fear that's in this league. Because it's tough for all our coaches. They're afraid. They go to analytics. And it gets difficult. I mean, he doesn't have all that. He doesn't have that fear."

Sure, Jim. Sure.

◾️ Tom Brady had a rare moment of joy following his game-winning touchdown pass against the Rams - a record 55th game-winning drive to break a tie with Peyton Manning. Who knows if this is a turning point for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and TB12 - he averaged a woeful 4.8 yards per pass - but it's nice to see a smile on the GOAT's face, even if it's short-lived.

◾️ Another week, another impressive Sauce Gardner performance, this time in the New York Jets' stunning upset over the Buffalo Bills that put them at 6-3 and within a half-game of the AFC East lead. Gardner made a terrific read intercepting Josh Allen's pass to help turn the contest for the Jets in the third quarter.

His technique is flawless, but then you add the length at 6-foot-3, the athleticism, and the high football IQ. To paraphrase Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and fellow Cincinnati Bearcat Travis Kelce on their "New Heights" podcast, Sauce is the one dude you'd make in a lab to play corner.

With a feisty pass rush to boot, New York's defense held the Bills to a season-low 317 yards and 17 points. After getting beat early by All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs for a 42-yard gain, Gardner didn't allow Diggs another catch when matched up.

Gardner is second among cornerbacks with an 87.8 PFF coverage grade and leads all defenders with 13 pass defenses.

It's hard to argue against Gardner and free-agent pickup D.J. Reed as the league's top cornerback tandem. Facing Miami's Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill - who's on pace to become the first receiver to exceed 2,000 yards - Gardner and Reed held them to a combined 10 catches for 70 yards in Week 5.

"I feel there ain't nobody doing it like we're doing it," Gardner told reporters Sunday when asked if he and Reed are the NFL's best cornerback duo.

◾️ We've talked at length about Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr., and Tariq Woolen - among others - but there's another star rookie at cornerback you need to know about. Chiefs first-round draft choice Trent McDuffie has been lights-out thus far. He's only played two games because of a hamstring injury but has been nearly perfect in his 45 career coverage snaps, according to PFF. The former Washington Huskies All-American is allowing just a 36.9 passer rating. In his return to action Sunday, he was only targeted twice with no receptions.

I was at McDuffie's pro day in Seattle last spring and spent some time with him over lunch. McDuffie was still recovering from an injury, so he didn't do much physically, but it was abundantly clear that he possesses the ideal mentality to be a lockdown artist in this league. Add in his physical tools and near flawless technique, and I believe the 22-year-old is a future All-Pro outside.

◾️ It didn't get much notice, but Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey wasn't flagged for removing his helmet on the field of play against the Bucs. Oddly enough, it was the same officiating crew that flagged Panthers receiver D.J. Moore after he scored on a Hail Mary against the Falcons - a penalty that contributed to costing Carolina the win. It's a terrible rule, but as I said in my TikTok below, the key is consistency. If you're going to call it in one game, you better call it in the next.

◾️ Justin Tucker is on another level. Cameras caught the all-world kicker drilling a 70-yard field goal in warmups Monday night before the Baltimore Ravens handled the New Orleans Saints. To me, Tucker will eventually surpass Adam Vinatieri as the greatest ever. Check out the slo-mo!

Jordan Schultz is theScore's NFL insider and senior NBA reporter. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.