There were many problems with Mitch Trubisky during his four-year stint in Chicago. One that people grew increasingly frustrated with more than most was his unwillingness to attack down the field more. He just seemed to lack aggressiveness, too often settling for check downs. This is illustrated in the numbers. According to the Next Gen Stats on NFL.com, Trubisky averaged 7.9 intended air yards last season. For an idea of the company he kept? Ryan Fitzpatrick, Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Nick Foles. Not great. Through the first two months of 2021, it’s becoming clear Justin Fields is a different animal.
One would think a rookie quarterback would tend to settle for the easier throws. Ones they’re comfortable with and know they can complete. Based on snippets from training camp, that is not the case. Fields hasn’t been afraid to attack the Bears defense and doing so often. Albert Breer of the MMQB said the coaching staff absolutely loves that attacking mentality. Something they think the offense desperately needs.
5) Andy Dalton looks sharp and his command has impressed. But glimpses of Justin Fields' upside are there. One came on a bullet he put on Javon Wims Friday, 25 yards down the seam b/w 2 defenders. It wasn't just the throw coaches loved—it was his aggression in making it too.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 31, 2021
This shouldn’t be a surprise.
Fields demonstrated at Ohio State that he loves to go for the big plays. Both because they have great value to offensive success but also because he’s really good at them. Nobody in college football was better at throwing the deep ball than he was across 2019 and 2020. It isn’t just because he has a strong arm. His touch is often so overlooked as well. The kid has a knack for laying the ball in the bucket 50 yards down the field.
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Bears fans will probably get instant memories of Jay Cutler during his extended run in Chicago. He too wasn’t perfect but his deep strikes could be an absolute thing of beauty. The crazy thing is Fields might be more accurate than he was.
Justin Fields has a Cutler-esque ability to throw bullets and without fear. Obviously, that skill has to be used properly. Still … In a practice setting, it can be impressive to watch some of those throws that just whistle.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) July 31, 2021
Justin Fields has his head in the right place
Now it’s a matter of him learning the NFL level. Understand its complexity and most importantly its speed. This is something he has gotten a swift introduction to in camp thus far. The Bears’ defense is still one of the best in the league and they’ve been giving him a proper education on what to expect on Sundays. To his credit, Fields hasn’t been flustered at all. He’s made his share of mistakes but always seems to bounce back quickly.
The best part is he isn’t compounding his mistakes with further ones. They tend to be isolated incidents. This is the first key part of being an NFL quarterback. Next will be stringing good plays together. A process he continues to work on every day. As the coaches love to say, “It’s a process.” The Bears want Justin Fields to be great. It is a matter of working through the details to get him there.
The talent and the mindset? Those are taken care of.
The real fun begins on Tuesday next week. That is when the Bears will put the pads on for the first time. Fans will get to see Fields in full uniform and just how much he can do against a defense that is finally allowed to go all out.