Justin Fields has spent the past three months making adjustments to his playing style. It started with his overall throwing mechanics, hoping to speed up his motion to get the ball out quicker. Now he’s moved on to his footwork. New offensive coordinator Luke Getsy had him shift from playing with his right foot forward to his left foot forward. Each tweak is designed to quicken the time from taking the snap to throwing the ball. Against NFL pass rushes, every millisecond matters. There is one tweak his favorite receiver Darnell Mooney is already noticing.
One thing everybody knew about Fields coming out of Ohio State was his arm. While not a rocket launcher compared to Josh Allen, the Bears’ 11th overall pick could throw that football with peak velocity when he wished. According to Mooney, he would do that at every opportunity when he played during games. Each pass seemed like a testament to his manhood. It appears Fields learned this offseason that such an approach isn’t necessary. Certain moments call for passes with more touch. It led to great results during their workouts in Atlanta.
This might explain a lot.
Bears receivers had some issues with dropped passes last season. Fields throwing the ball hard when he didn’t necessarily have to might have played a part in some of them. By varying up the speeds depending on the situation, he increases the odds his targets will be able to hang onto the football. Mooney most of all. Those two figure to connect a lot this season since he’s the only holdover from last year. The third-year receiver expects more help to come via the draft next week.
Darnell Mooney is also working on his own craft.
One thing he noticed about last season was his conditioning. Too many times, he felt himself getting tired late in games, which led to him not always making plays when needed. That is why he’s studied guys like Antonio Brown and Cooper Kupp, receivers that never seem to get tired, no matter if it’s the 1st quarter or deep into overtime. They’re always running routes at the same speed with no visible drop-off.
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If he wants to be considered among the elite of the NFL, that is where he must get. Running good routes is one thing. Running them consistently for 60+ minutes is another. That level of condition is what separates the best from everybody else. Darnell Mooney wasn’t smiling when he said that either. He is dead serious. This is a driven young man, and he’s hoping Fields is the guy to help get him there.
The 2022 season is a big one for both of them.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and his staff have a lot of work ahead of the season. Installing a brand new system is never easy. Especially when it’s notorious for being complex, there can be no wasted moments over the next several months. Mooney and Fields figure to throw themselves into the scheme with single-minded obsession. It will be exciting to see their progress when training camp arrives in July.
