Plenty of people still jump to the defense of Justin Fields. It’s not hard to see why. The Bears offense was anemic without him last Sunday night in Los Angeles. There are still visions of his two explosive outings against Denver and Washington. Many believe he is on the cusp of finally breaking out. He just needs a little more time. However, rumblings persist that GM Ryan Poles is ready to pull the plug. He’s already planning to make a change in the event Chicago lands a top 3 draft pick next April.
Some still find it hard to understand why the Bears aren’t willing to be more patient. There is still one cheap year left on Fields’ contract. He remains an elite physical talent. Why not let things play out one more year, using next off-season to fortify the roster further? There are multiple answers to this question, but none better illustrate the point than a chart that recently surfaced on social media. It showcases how each starting quarterback in the NFL performs when they play defenses that are above average and below average.
Fields’ placement tells the entire story.
Justin Fields brings out his worst against good defenses.
That is the mark of a quarterback that will likely never win anything significant in the NFL. Fields has played two games against top 10 pass defenses this season in Green Bay and Kansas City. He threw for 315 yards total, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also fumbled once. It is one thing to look mediocre against a good defense. That can be excused. Fields often looks completely toothless. When you’re clustered in the same group as Zach Wilson, Sam Darnold, and Daniel Jones? It’s not a great look.
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There is also the fact he doesn’t have all that impressive EPA against bad defenses, too. His recent games against Denver and Washington actually improved the number you see above. Justin Fields feels too much like another Vince Young, Michael Vick, or Kordell Stewart. They’re incredible athletes who showed flashes of brilliance as passers. However, they could never find consistency and precision when faced with talented, well-coached defenses.
Fields is not a bad player, but it’s clear by now he isn’t good enough.
