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Bears notes: Justin Fields’ fumbles, right tackle switch, disastrous startJason Lieseron October 25, 2021 at 2:05 am

Justin Fields fumbled three times and threw three interceptions against the Buccaneers. | Jason Behnken/AP

Fields fumbled three times Sunday, pushing his season total to six.

TAMPA, Fla. — The Bears’ 38-3 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday was hard to watch, so it would’ve been easy to miss some of the details. Here’s a look at three of them:

Fields’ fumbles

When rookie quarterback Justin Fields fumbled in his preseason debut against the Dolphins, he brushed it off because it didn’t result in a turnover. But now he has fumbled six times during the season and lost two of his three fumbles Sunday. “I’m not concerned with his [ball] security,” coach Matt Nagy said.

Simmons sits

With Germain Ifedi injured and Elijah Wilkinson on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Bears promoted Lachavious Simmons from their practice squad to start at right tackle. He didn’t last long. After Jason Pierre-Paul beat him for a strip-sack early in the second quarter, the Bears switched to Alex Bars for the rest of the game.

Brutal start

The Bears were the first team to give up 21 points in the first quarter in more than two years, and the game was virtually over at that point. On their first eight possessions, they committed three turnovers, punted three times, got a 28-yard field goal from Cairo Santos and turned it over on downs near midfield.