Bears vs Awkward Ocean Mammals - Week One of the 2021 Preseason

[abstract_thought]

1 hour ago, dll2000 said:

Listening to Dolphins podcasts.  

Interesting to hear their take.  They were offended by Fields post game comments.  They said he did good against scrubs.

I don’t think Fields meant any slight to Dolphins.

In fairness the Dolphins D dominated Bears in first half without even all their best players in.  That was (yet another) embarrassing performance for Nagy and Dalton.  

If you asked me which team is better in 2021 Bears or Dolphins, I would say Dolphins due to strength of their secondary and skill positions sans QB.

But I think Tua is a bust after watching him.  He just doesn’t have an NFL arm, I don’t know how everyone can’t see that.   That is my first time seeing him in NFL - I don’t need 50 games to see it.   It is obvious to me and I am not sure how it isn’t obvious to everyone.  He has decent accuracy and touch, but no strength or zip.   He is only going to be good with a stacked team.  Sorry, but that is just true.  

Dolphins are a good team overall though.  Tons of speed. They are just weak at O line and QB and you can’t win consistently with that especially against good teams.

Fields for sure has an NFL arm and clearly has speed to play in NFL.  Only doubt with him at moment is will he develop between the ears.

Tua’s limitations were very obvious. Watching that game makes it easy to see why scouts get excited over measurables and physical ability. Fields’ size, speed, and strength is so obvious after only a few plays.

[Sugashane]

44 minutes ago, beardown3231 said:

us*

This isn't 2005 anymore. Throw him out there vs LAR.

I definitely want Fields to start, but just accept Nagy putting Dalton out there since it seems to be his preference.

[AZBearsFan]

7 hours ago, Madmike90 said:

Justin Fields is just different to any other Bears QB I have even seen...yes it was preseason and yes it was against backups but can you honestly say you have ever seen a QB who looks so calm in a Bears uniform? Behind a make shift offensive line you would think he was playing pitch and catch...never seemed fazed...always seemed to see the picture and have a plan...most Bears QB look frantic and as if they are fighting the game...Fields is just so instinctual and natural...the bumps in the road will be there no doubt...but I expect him to skate over them fairly easily...flat out baller...

What I liked most was that the places where Fields shined against the backups (also with backups, which is just as relevant IMO) are things that will transfer against starters too:

-Overall accuracy 

-Pocket instincts and poise

-Accuracy on the move 

-Absurd speed for the position, and moreover looking to use that elite run tool to set up the pass while outside the pocket most times 

The one play with the PA boot to the right where he used his speed to draw the DB into thinking he was going to run, only to throw over him to Adams for about 15 yards… man, that’s the stuff right there. You can already see the energy on the sidelines when he’s in the game and the rapport he’s building with the team, even those guys with whom he’s not yet getting reps. That stuff matters so much IMO.

Was there some bad too? Definitely. But, most of that stuff can probably be attributed to some jitters in his first NFL game action. Once he settled in a bit it was a hot knife through butter. 

I still think Dalton will start week 1 at this point, while still thinking he shouldn’t. That said - if he gives us another nothing burger next week with Fields showing out again that’s going to become a whole lot more tenuous, and even if Dalton does start I’d expect some kind of Fields package sprinkled in too. It’d be criminal not to. 

[beardown3231]

28 minutes ago, Sugashane said:

I definitely want Fields to start, but just accept Nagy putting Dalton out there since it seems to be his preference.

It seems that wat. Maybe JF can force the issue with a strong performance vs Buffalo

[soulman]

4 hours ago, dll2000 said:

I mean DT was beyond awful in coverage last year anyway. 

Putting pressure even on established vets is the name of the game.  Ogletree has been an ace in coverage in practices.

[soulman]

4 hours ago, dll2000 said:

I am waiting for you guys to get on the give Fields the first team practice reps bandwagon.

I know it is coming.   

You should have been riding with me from start.  Stupid Nagy.  

 

I want to see a couple more games but from watching him I'm coming over to the side of saying he's ready to play.

I watched some highlights of Trey Lance as well and I have to admit that rookie QBs do appear to be far more ready to play day one than has been typical in the ancient past.  It's just that we've never had one of those who has shown he as ready as Fields has.

There's no doubt he's making a strong case for starting much sooner than they had probably planned for him to do.

[BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW]

The most promising things I took from yesterday were not the physical talent, although the dude is a serious unit, but that he's smart and seems accurate. Really felt like he was seeing things fast and understanding what to do. After the former guy, that's a big deal. 

[Sugashane]

49 minutes ago, soulman said:

I want to see a couple more games but from watching him I'm coming over to the side of saying he's ready to play.

I watched some highlights of Trey Lance as well and I have to admit that rookie QBs do appear to be far more ready to play day one than has been typical in the ancient past.  It's just that we've never had one of those who has shown he as ready as Fields has.

There's no doubt he's making a strong case for starting much sooner than they had probably planned for him to do.

I'd like them to "rest" Dalton week three. Let Fields really take the reigns then when it is the dress rehearsal for the season. It's the closest we will get to live action for him. 

Regardless the foundation looks well ahead of what Tru was at so I'm fine as long as the OL isn't sub-Big 10 talent. 

[Heinz D.]

2 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

That said - if he gives us another nothing burger next week with Fields showing out again that’s going to become a whole lot more tenuous, and even if Dalton does start I’d expect some kind of Fields package sprinkled in too. It’d be criminal not to. 

Oof. I hope not. I hate it when teams do that. Throws everything out of sync. They should either make the move to Fields, or commit to having him learning from the bench. 

[AZBearsFan]

27 minutes ago, Heinz D. said:

Oof. I hope not. I hate it when teams do that. Throws everything out of sync. They should either make the move to Fields, or commit to having him learning from the bench. 

My preference is 100% that it’s Fields all the way. But I’d rather get some Fields than none, and it being that way at least in week 1 lets Nagy both get Fields the run he needs and also live up to his ridiculous “Dalton is the starter” pre-camp proclamation. 

[Heinz D.]

2 minutes ago, AZBearsFan said:

My preference is 100% that it’s Fields all the way. But I’d rather get some Fields than none, and it being that way at least in week 1 lets Nagy both get Fields the run he needs and also live up to his ridiculous “Dalton is the starter” pre-camp proclamation. 

Let's hope there is room in Nagy's head to go back on the "Dalton is QB#1" declaration--provided Fields has shown he's ready. 

And...he probably just did, yesterday.

Dolphins fans can grunt about Fields was playing against backups (which isn't even totally true, and also ignores who Fields was playing with)...but okay then, so the starters would have been a little bit closer to Fields on that touchdown run? Kind of a convoluted example, but I'm sure you see what I'm getting at. 

[AZBearsFan]

52 minutes ago, Heinz D. said:

Let's hope there is room in Nagy's head to go back on the "Dalton is QB#1" declaration--provided Fields has shown he's ready. 

And...he probably just did, yesterday.

Dolphins fans can grunt about Fields was playing against backups (which isn't even totally true, and also ignores who Fields was playing with)...but okay then, so the starters would have been a little bit closer to Fields on that touchdown run? Kind of a convoluted example, but I'm sure you see what I'm getting at. 

100% I do. And like I said in my earlier post, the things he did really well translate regardless of the competition (accuracy overall and on the move, pocket instincts and poise, and both having elite speed for the QB position and using that speed to create favorable passing opportunities outside the pocket).

He’s making Rodney Adams and Jon’Vea Johnson (a couple of undrafted nobodies as far as the NFL has been concerned) look like legit WR prospects and Jesse James (a TE2/TE3 on his 3rd team in 4 years and unrostered 4+ months into FA) look like a guy who should be starting for half the teams in the league right now. It’s not a big stretch to think when he’s playing with actual NFL level skill position players that his performance will ascend or at least be on par with what we saw yesterday, even as the competition improves. 

[BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW]

1 hour ago, Heinz D. said:

Oof. I hope not. I hate it when teams do that. Throws everything out of sync. They should either make the move to Fields, or commit to having him learning from the bench. 

That's a really good point, I'd been excited about getting at least a fun-size serving of Fields week 1, but now you've got me recalling that moronic designed run for Trubisky when he was QB2.

I ended up watching the game after thinking I wouldn't be able to, and prefaced everything with "now, honestly, you really need 2-3 years to evaluate a draft pick" and about 2 minutes later it was a bit more like "THIS GUY IS THE BEST."  Should probably maybe average those two points of view.

[Heinz D.]

13 minutes ago, RunningVaccs said:

That's a really good point, I'd been excited about getting at least a fun-size serving of Fields week 1, but now you've got me recalling that moronic designed run for Trubisky when he was QB2.

How about I really give you nightmares? What about the Cade McClown "package"? 🤪

13 minutes ago, RunningVaccs said:

I ended up watching the game after thinking I wouldn't be able to, and prefaced everything with "now, honestly, you really need 2-3 years to evaluate a draft pick" and about 2 minutes later it was a bit more like "THIS GUY IS THE BEST."  Should probably maybe average those two points of view.

Even though Jesse James was wide open on that one play...that throw is still INCREDIBLY HARD TO COMPLETE. (Not "shouting" out you, good buddy, just usin' caps for emphasis...)

After a shaky couple of series, Fields looked absolutely golden. No need to pump the brakes on your enthusiasm, IMO. 

[JAF-N72EX]

On 8/13/2021 at 7:24 PM, Sugashane said:

Who will be this year's Tanner Gentry!?!?

Jesse James right now and it isn't even close based on what I've been reading.

I just read someone use the words "emerging player" to describe him after the 1st preseason game only because he caught a TD on a play against broken coverage from backups who won't even see the field this year.