Bears QB Justin Fields made a hilariously athletic leap over Micah Parsons and gave the Cowboys an easy touchdown in the process

• Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons came up with a turnover against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
• After the recovery, Bears quarterback Justin Fields leapt over Parsons to avoid touching him.

Justin Fields played his best game of the season for the Chicago Bears on Sunday, completing 73.9% of his passes while throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for a third in a 49-29 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Unfortunately, it's possible that the quarterback's most athletic play of the night was also his worst, as it inadvertently led to an easy touchdown for the Cowboys.

In the third quarter, with the Bears trailing 35-23 and attempting to mount a comeback, Fields hit running back David Montgomery with a short pass over the middle. Montgomery fumbled, and the ball was scooped up by Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons near the sideline.

Parsons was on the ground, but had yet to be touched down to officially end the play. At that moment, Fields was approaching the play, but leapt directly over Parsons without making contact.

The Dallas defense appeared to take a moment to realize what had just happened, with some players running to the end zone merely to celebrate the turnover. But Parsons made a break for the end zone with some purpose to his run, and wound up scoring a touchdown.

Watching the replay, it appears that Fields was going out of his way to avoid Parsons.

While Fields' jump led to a disaster, it's not entirely understandable. Starting quarterbacks need to protect themselves, especially on plays where the defense gets the ball and chaos ensues. Further, according to NCAA rules, Parsons would have already been ruled down.

"You're always gonna have ups and downs in the game," Fields said of the play after the game, noting that he should have touched Parsons down. "You've just got to keep fighting."