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Home Chicago Bears News & Rumors Ex-QB Shows How Bears Coaches Still Suck At Helping Justin Fields

Ex-QB Shows How Bears Coaches Still Suck At Helping Justin Fields

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Ex-QB Shows How Bears Coaches Still Suck At Helping Justin Fields

Justin Fields has shown incremental progress thus far for the Chicago Bears. While the rookie hasn’t lit the stat sheet on fire to this point, his efficiency has improved considerably from his first start against Cleveland to the big win in Las Vegas. That is a good thing. One would think the coaching staff led by Matt Nagy and Bill Lazor deserve credit for this, right? Well, not nearly as much as you think.

J.T. O’Sullivan is a former NFL quarterback. He played in the league for a number of years and saw all sorts of different offenses. He can usually tell when one is QB-friendly and when it isn’t. During his latest breakdown of the Bears’ offense against the Raiders? There were a number of times he came away baffled by some of the plays they were having Fields run. Both in types of plays called and the designs.

For one, things often feel overly complicated.

Take this play he illustrates below. A play action fake where Fields throws a quick pass to Allen Robinson for about eight yards. It was a nice toss. So what’s the problem. O’Sullivan explains how the Bears seem to have made that entire play needlessly difficult for the QB. How? By forcing him to turn his back for the play action and then having to get his shoulders and hips back around to make an accurate throw. It would’ve been so much easier to just have him take a three-step drop and throw. The results would’ve been the same.

Then there is the overall design of some of the plays Chicago runs. There was even one play O’Sullivan highlighted that he basically called “two middle fingers” to the quarterback. It was a play where two receivers and the tight end all ran hooks with two running backs run into the flats. It is a bad play design that is easy to defend and gives the QB few options to choose from. Nobody in the NFL is running this.

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This proves Justin Fields still isn’t in great hands

Yes, Nagy gave up play calling. That has proven to be a good thing. Yet it’s important to remember he still has a direct hand in all other facets of this offense. Things like play design and execution. One of the criticisms of him even dating back to his time in Kansas City was how he had a bad tendency to make things needlessly complicated. It isn’t a coincidence Chiefs players were spotted on the sidelines after he left saying new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy had simplified everything.

This serves as another reminder that simply changing play callers won’t solve the overall problem. Justin Fields remains under the direction of the same coaching staff that almost got him killed in Cleveland. The same coaching staff that can’t seem to find him any easy throws or get him in any sort of rhythm. This is why nobody is or should be ready to consider Nagy safe from being fired after this season.

There isn’t any proof he is qualified to make Fields a success.

He better hope that changes in the coming weeks. His credibility isn’t going to suddenly revive after beating the Lions and Raiders. People are waiting to see if he can get the rookie to play better while actually beating some good teams.