The Chicago Bears might not finish with many wins in 2022, but they've become a very fun team to watch. Quarterback Justin Fields has emerged as one of the most exciting dual-threat signal-callers in the NFL, and the Bears never play as if believe they can't win.

Sunday provided fans with another thriller, as Chicago went back and forth with the run-heavy Atlanta Falcons. It was a rather unconventional 27-24 shootout that only saw Atlanta win after a Cordarrelle Patterson 103-yard kickoff return touchdown and a late interception by Fields to seal it.

In some ways, this game provided Bears fans with the best of both worlds. Chicago showed that it has talent and heart while keeping itself in contention for a top-five draft selection. At 3-8, the Bears aren't making the playoffs, so the rest of the season is largely about growth and draft positioning.

We already knew, of course, that Chicago is playing for the future. Here's what we learned in Chicago's Week 11 loss to the Falcons.

Justin Fields Still Has a Lot to Learn

If the season ended today, the Bears would hold the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft. That could land Chicago a top quarterback prospect like C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young, depending on how the first two picks unfolded.

Over the past few games, however, it's seemed less and less likely that Chicago will pull the plug on Fields and start over. It's a possibility, as Fields wasn't drafted by the current regime. Since leaning into Fields' rushing ability, though, the Bears have gotten a lot out of the Ohio State product.

Fields had rushed for at least 60 yards in each of his past three games while tossing at least two touchdown passes in each contest. Unfortunately for Chicago, Sunday's outing was a reminder that Fields has a long way to go.

The 23-year-old was mostly efficient, going 14-of-21 for 153 yards, but he missed a couple of open receivers and put too much heat on the pass to David Montgomery that was intercepted in the fourth quarter.

Fields can be great when he's operating on the edge and in space. However, his passes from the pocket still lack touch and accuracy. Assuming coach Matt Eberflus won't abandon his quarterback in the offseason, these are traits Chicago will have to coach heavily.

Capable of chewing up yards on the ground and making the occasional jaw-dropping throw, Fields has flashed his upside repeatedly this season. The question for Chicago is whether Fields can reach his ceiling faster than a 2023 prospect might.

Fields' Injury Is a Major Concern

The good news is that Chicago has six more games with which to evaluate and develop Fields before making any offseason decisions. The bad news is that Fields may not actually participate in all of those contests.

The second-year quarterback suffered a shoulder injury on Chicago's final drive, and the severity of the ailment is unknown.

"We will have an update on Wednesday," Eberflus said, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "We don't know what exactly it is, that's why we are going to take a look at it."

If Fields can't go against the New York Jets this week, Chicago will likely rely on journeyman Trevor Siemian. While winning isn't necessarily the Bears' goal at this point, that's problematic for evaluation purposes.

The Bears have a league-high $116.4 million in projected 2023 cap space, according to Spotrac. They're likely to see a substantial amount of turnover in the offseason, and these final seven weeks will be about deciding which players deserve to stay for the next stage of the rebuild.

Those decisions will be tougher to make if Siemian is running the offense. Chicago must determine if Fields is the long-term answer at quarterback, and it needs to decipher what pieces he needs to be successful.

Siemian is a completely different type of quarterback—a more traditional pocket passer—and what works for him may not work for Fields.

Ideally, the shoulder injury isn't serious enough to cause Fields to miss time. However, it was severe enough to send him to the locker room for an X-ray. That's enough to make it a legitimate concern heading into Week 12.

Chicago Cannot Ignore the Defense Next Offseason

While Chicago must spend a large chunk of its draft and cap capital on pieces to aid Fields—or another quarterback if the Bears go that route—it cannot ignore the defense. This is a unit that was already up and down before the Bears traded away Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith at the deadline.

On Sunday, the defense was a liability, specifically against the run. Atlanta rushed for 149 yards and 4.5 yards per carry. Now, the Falcons were just 2-of-9 on third down and wouldn't have won without the Patterson touchdown, but had Chicago gotten one or two more stops, it wouldn't have blown a 17-7 second-quarter lead. This wasn't a one-off problem.

The Bears rank a dismal 29th against the run and 27th in points allowed this season.

Chicago must improve defensively if it hopes to see a quick turnaround in 2023, and it would be wise for the Bears to invest in their front seven. This could mean targeting impending free agents like Marcus Davenport and Javon Hargrave in free agency or doing defense early in the draft.

In the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's early top 100 rankings, the top three prospects—Will Anderson Jr., Jalen Carter and Myles Murphy—were all front-seven defenders. The Bears must seriously consider taking one of them if their spot in the draft order holds steady.

Chicago made a calculated decision to tear down its defense when it traded Smith and Quinn. The rebuilding of that unit must begin as soon as possible.