The Justin Fields watch thread

[AZBearsFan]

I’m still wrapping my head around us having DJ Moore on the team and how underrated of an addition to the team this is for Fields nationally. From a strictly statistical standpoint from 2019-2021 Moore ranked 8th, 9th and 10th in receiving yards amongst WRs. His QBs during that time were Teddy Bridgewater (15 starts), Kyle Allen (12), Sam Darnold (11), the dead arm version of Cam Newton (7), Will Grier (2), and PJ Walker (2). Whether you think Fields will ultimately be a franchise QB or not, there’s no question he’s better than those guys. 

[Sugashane]

1 hour ago, AZBearsFan said:

I’m still wrapping my head around us having DJ Moore on the team and how underrated of an addition to the team this is for Fields nationally. From a strictly statistical standpoint from 2019-2021 Moore ranked 8th, 9th and 10th in receiving yards amongst WRs. His QBs during that time were Teddy Bridgewater (15 starts), Kyle Allen (12), Sam Darnold (11), the dead arm version of Cam Newton (7), Will Grier (2), and PJ Walker (2). Whether you think Fields will ultimately be a franchise QB or not, there’s no question he’s better than those guys. 

I just put a post together on the best non-drafted Bears in NFL Gen and damn near forgot Moore. Granted it is a projection but if he can maintain that same kind of production he and Fields could be the best QB/WR duo in franchise history, well ahead of Jay/Marshall. If he can't then man there will be a LOT of concerns about Fields, because like you said Moore was great with a slew of bums. Dead-armed Newton was essentially the QB equivalent of Chicago's version of Jared Allen.

[JibjeResearch]

3 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

I’m still wrapping my head around us having DJ Moore on the team and how underrated of an addition to the team this is for Fields nationally. From a strictly statistical standpoint from 2019-2021 Moore ranked 8th, 9th and 10th in receiving yards amongst WRs. His QBs during that time were Teddy Bridgewater (15 starts), Kyle Allen (12), Sam Darnold (11), the dead arm version of Cam Newton (7), Will Grier (2), and PJ Walker (2). Whether you think Fields will ultimately be a franchise QB or not, there’s no question he’s better than those guys. 

If Fields plays similar to last season and improves his 4th quarter QB rating from 60 to 90 or more, the Bears will win 5 to 7 more game and could be in the playoff.

[Sugashane]

4 minutes ago, JibjeResearch said:

If Fields plays similar to last season and improves his 4th quarter QB rating from 60 to 90 or more, the Bears will win 5 to 7 more game and could be in the playoff.

I would assume having a competent defense means he will not have to be so aggressive like he was early in the year when passing. There is a ton of pressure to get TDs every drive when you know the defense is going to give up 30 with regularity. Hopefully this lets him take the easy throws (and he connects on them as he should) and he can let playmakers make their own plays. Hero ball is not a long-term solution - even if it can be damn exciting   lol

[dll2000]

23 minutes ago, Sugashane said:

I would assume having a competent defense means he will not have to be so aggressive like he was early in the year when passing. There is a ton of pressure to get TDs every drive when you know the defense is going to give up 30 with regularity. Hopefully this lets him take the easy throws (and he connects on them as he should) and he can let playmakers make their own plays. Hero ball is not a long-term solution - even if it can be damn exciting   lol

Billings alone makes a ton of difference.   They were really, really missing a big body run stopper inside.   Even if they just kept Tonga it would have helped some.  

Justin Jones was on an island.

The additions of Billings, Dexter and Walker (who is a bigger end who can hold an edge better) makes a large difference to run defense.  Jones will look better than last year too with a better rotation and help.  

It's not the Steel Curtain by any means, but DL can't be pushed around nearly as easy as last year by every O line in league.

Makes any LB way more effective and then you added a top 3 ILB talent in league and another good ILB as well.

Pass rush is still relatively weak, but defense as a whole is much improved over last year when it was historically bad.

 

[HuskieBear]

1 hour ago, JibjeResearch said:

If Fields plays similar to last season and improves his 4th quarter QB rating from 60 to 90 or more, the Bears will win 5 to 7 more game and could be in the playoff.

definitely cant argue with this very real stat

[Sugashane]

6 hours ago, dll2000 said:

Billings alone makes a ton of difference.   They were really, really missing a big body run stopper inside.   Even if they just kept Tonga it would have helped some.  

Justin Jones was on an island.

The additions of Billings, Dexter and Walker (who is a bigger end who can hold an edge better) makes a large difference to run defense.  Jones will look better than last year too with a better rotation and help.  

It's not the Steel Curtain by any means, but DL can't be pushed around nearly as easy as last year by every O line in league.

Makes any LB way more effective and then you added a top 3 ILB talent in league and another good ILB as well.

Pass rush is still relatively weak, but defense as a whole is much improved over last year when it was historically bad.

 

Agreed. I mentioned I feel like the Bears have a 3-4 DL being pegged into a 4-3. There is a lot of size but not much speed, only Gipson and Robinson really seem to fit as traditional DEs for the system. I wonder if Eberflus and Williams will dial up more pressure from the LB corps. Last year Brisker was one of the most effective blitzers, Sanborn will be able to hunt with guys like Edmunds and Edwards being able to cover, and with the size of the best DL I wonder if the idea is to use Gipson/Robinson as 9-tech - like how SEA utilized Bruce Irving years ago. I still think there will be a really big DE on one side, like Dexter getting to rotate in. Eberflus loves size, length, power at DE like how he kicked Autry to DE from DT.

Its a weird group, definitely miles better than what was fielded last year (same with LB corps) but just an odd grouping.

[dll2000]

20 hours ago, HuskieBear said:

definitely cant argue with this very real stat

LOL.

Oh man. My gifs aren’t working on my iPad.   Anyone else having issue? 

[Madmike90]

On 6/1/2023 at 12:12 AM, Sugashane said:

Agreed. I mentioned I feel like the Bears have a 3-4 DL being pegged into a 4-3. There is a lot of size but not much speed, only Gipson and Robinson really seem to fit as traditional DEs for the system. I wonder if Eberflus and Williams will dial up more pressure from the LB corps. Last year Brisker was one of the most effective blitzers, Sanborn will be able to hunt with guys like Edmunds and Edwards being able to cover, and with the size of the best DL I wonder if the idea is to use Gipson/Robinson as 9-tech - like how SEA utilized Bruce Irving years ago. I still think there will be a really big DE on one side, like Dexter getting to rotate in. Eberflus loves size, length, power at DE like how he kicked Autry to DE from DT.

Its a weird group, definitely miles better than what was fielded last year (same with LB corps) but just an odd grouping.

I'm not so sure they will...I think they are just going about DL play in a different way...with how pass heavy the NFL is these days and the importance of passing the ball offensive linemen have became smaller and more athletic but not as powerful for the most part...meaning DL can win with strength and power...we have heard Flus say several times this offseason how he wants to "dent" the pocket...the Titans use that so effectively where they aren't trying to win clean off the snap with speed...they are happy to engage with the OL and try and take them back into the QBs lap...if you can do that consistently it is just as effective as winning with speed...just have to throw off the QBs ability to step up and into throws and that is already a win for a defence like ours which is so focused on taking the ball away...forcing a bad throw is sometimes more importance than getting a sack.

[HuskieBear]

On 6/4/2023 at 9:35 AM, Madmike90 said:

I'm not so sure they will...I think they are just going about DL play in a different way...with how pass heavy the NFL is these days and the importance of passing the ball offensive linemen have became smaller and more athletic but not as powerful for the most part...meaning DL can win with strength and power...we have heard Flus say several times this offseason how he wants to "dent" the pocket...the Titans use that so effectively where they aren't trying to win clean off the snap with speed...they are happy to engage with the OL and try and take them back into the QBs lap...if you can do that consistently it is just as effective as winning with speed...just have to throw off the QBs ability to step up and into throws and that is already a win for a defence like ours which is so focused on taking the ball away...forcing a bad throw is sometimes more importance than getting a sack.

We all know that DE is most likely the #1 need on the team rn, but DT and pressure is the backbone of a Flus D. I think their strategy this season is to rotate and throw as many fresh bodies in the middle to get the push they need/want and use the DEs on the roster (and possibly another addition) to hopefully take advantage of the fresh bodies/pressure coming up the middle, which hopefully would make the edge rush more effective

[AZBearsFan]

3 hours ago, HuskieBear said:

We all know that DE is most likely the #1 need on the team rn, but DT and pressure is the backbone of a Flus D. I think their strategy this season is to rotate and throw as many fresh bodies in the middle to get the push they need/want and use the DEs on the roster (and possibly another addition) to hopefully take advantage of the fresh bodies/pressure coming up the middle, which hopefully would make the edge rush more effective

An expectedly more proficient offense will help the pass rush too. It’s way harder to get after the QB when your opponent is always playing with the lead. On the other side of that coin, our offense hopefully trailing less should help us to allow less sacks as well. I’m not intending to suggest that circumstance will fully negate a talent deficiencies, but it’d certainly be a factor IMO. 

[AZBearsFan]

I know Vick is retired now, but Justin is so much bigger than him, and the same speed. Kid’s a freak. One is the size of a WR and the other the size of a LB. 

[dll2000]

2 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

I know Vick is retired now, but Justin is so much bigger than him, and the same speed. Kid’s a freak. One is the size of a WR and the other the size of a LB. 

Beat me to it.  The size difference jumps out at you.

 

 

[dll2000]

A lot of opinion on Fields to me is uninformed.

Rodgers did really poorly last year with bad/young receivers.   He still had good protection most of time.  But he struggled because talent around him wasn't great.   But he could sit in pocket and wait for them to get open and process.    

Fields had bad receivers AND bad protection.

They say he needs to play within pocket and process.  Not be a running back.  Of course.

But you try it when someone is often getting in clean.  It is hard no nigh impossible to calmly sit and read a coverage while also dodging an unblocked fast 275 lb. man.

If he had 2.5 seconds before he had to dodge or he could step up in pocket and let them run by behind him it's a whole different story.

But so often someone on DL beat someone on our OL clean.   That changes everything.

Then you add in that he doesn't have confidence in his WRs and they are often aren't open in any event.

It makes playing QB extremely difficult.

I would also add that he just isn't a good running QB.   Peter Bukowski compared him to Ryan Tannehill.  Both run in 4.4s after all. 

Fields had several long runs called back on penalty.  It is one thing to scramble for 15-20 yards once in awhile. 

It is another thing entirely to run for 50+ yards and do it multiple times.  In a single season.  

  That is Bo Jacksonesque.   That is near unheard of.  It just doesn't happen in NFL outside of burner returners.   But you also have to remember, the special teams defenders are the less talented guys.   The back ups.  The studs are on starting D.  

People just don't pull away from defenses and split defenders and break into open field like Fields did.   People are not giving him enough credit for what he did.  Which was amazing.  

[AZBearsFan]

3 hours ago, dll2000 said:

A lot of opinion on Fields to me is uninformed.

Rodgers did really poorly last year with bad/young receivers.   He still had good protection most of time.  But he struggled because talent around him wasn't great.   But he could sit in pocket and wait for them to get open and process.    

Fields had bad receivers AND bad protection.

They say he needs to play within pocket and process.  Not be a running back.  Of course.

But you try it when someone is often getting in clean.  It is hard no nigh impossible to calmly sit and read a coverage while also dodging an unblocked fast 275 lb. man.

If he had 2.5 seconds before he had to dodge or he could step up in pocket and let them run by behind him it's a whole different story.

But so often someone on DL beat someone on our OL clean.   That changes everything.

Then you add in that he doesn't have confidence in his WRs and they are often aren't open in any event.

It makes playing QB extremely difficult.

I would also add that he just isn't a good running QB.   Peter Bukowski compared him to Ryan Tannehill.  Both run in 4.4s after all. 

Fields had several long runs called back on penalty.  It is one thing to scramble for 15-20 yards once in awhile. 

It is another thing entirely to run for 50+ yards and do it multiple times.  In a single season.  

  That is Bo Jacksonesque.   That is near unheard of.  It just doesn't happen in NFL outside of burner returners.   But you also have to remember, the special teams defenders are the less talented guys.   The back ups.  The studs are on starting D.  

People just don't pull away from defenses and split defenders and break into open field like Fields did.   People are not giving him enough credit for what he did.  Which was amazing.  

Listen to guys in the league. Not Bears either - guys elsewhere. Who anywhere who has played against Fields has done anything other than heaping praise upon him? Guys with no agenda who are in that player fraternity with him have nothing but great things to say. What a blowhard like Bukowski or @user238592947 on social media says doesn’t matter. Colin Cowherd’s job isn’t to be right or even informed - it’s to get you to talk about Colin Cowherd.

Listen to the people who know and who don’t have any agenda. Justin Jefferson. Von Miller. Darius Slay. These guys are among the best of the best in the league and they have NOTHING to gain by stroking people off about the Bears QB. They think Fields is special.