One of the more polarizing figures in the NFL heading into this season is Justin Fields. The Bears quarterback is entering his sophomore season in his second offensive system, this one with new coach Matt Eberflus’ staff. There are questions whether Fields has enough around him.
With Allen Robinson heading to the Rams, the receiving corps now consists of Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle and Velus Jones Jr. at the top. He has four new offensive linemen, and Chicago is clearly hoping to implement a system that will highlight his athleticism running the ball.
While preseason offers a limited glimpse into how that will look — NFL coaches use simplified playbooks during the preseason — it can give observers a broad overview.
In Week 2 against the Seahawks, Fields played one drive. He completed 5 of 7 passes for 39 yards and led Chicago to a field goal.
The Sporting News takes a quick look at the good and bad of that drive.
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The good
As far as positives go, Fields did look accurate throwing the ball. Completing five of seven, particularly under duress, is something to write home about.
More importantly, the Bears introduced wrinkles into their offense that should hearten Chicago fans looking to see something different.
Fields rolling out is a thing of beauty. @justnfields
📺: #CHIvsSEA on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/duqkxIEtbt pic.twitter.com/TnYSsrMuJv— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2022
A quick rollout can do so much to open up an offense. In the play above, Fields is rolling against his body but he keeps his eyes upfield. The fact he has space to run but sees Cole Kmet and stops, squares and makes an accurate throw is a great sign for Chicago.
Fields rolled out only 19 times in 2021, but he had the highest passer rating in the NFL on those rollouts at 138.5, according to USA Today. That alone should get Bears fans excited for this season.
MORE: Five reasons to be high on Justin Fields in training camp
The bad
The stats are nice, and Fields completed a high percentage of his passes. But the “how” matters.
Fields was getting blown up with regularity in the backfield, and it wasn’t just his offensive line causing it to happen.
When his tackles were pushed behind him to form his pocket, Fields immediately started seeing ghosts and wanted to tuck. That’s ominous, especially with a receiving corps that isn’t expected to be elite at getting separation outside of Pringle.
At the end of the drive, Fields hung a bit of a hospital pass for Khalil Herbert on third-and-4 that resulted in a loss. The Bears ended up kicking a field goal.
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The bottom line
There’s nothing definitive to be drawn from a preseason series, but Fields is still good at what he’s known to be good at and he still needs work on what it was thought he needs work.
While Fields is excellent on rollouts and plays that move the pocket, the Bears’ offensive line and Fields’ occasional indecisiveness in the pocket can create issues for him.
Chicago’s offensive line is almost completely new. It’s going to take time for the unit to jell with each other and Fields.
The signs are encouraging, but the Bears are a work in progress. Patience will be key. Fans will have to wait for Week 1 to know what the Bears truly have in Fields under the new regime.
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