Justin Fields is starting to discover how to use the entire inventory of his vast talents. After a rough start to 2022, the young quarterback is playing with more confidence and poise than ever before. Nothing exemplifies this more than how dangerous he’s become as a runner. He was always blisteringly faster, but he’s showing more instincts for it than he did as a rookie. A big part of that newfound success is the Chicago Bears‘ willingness to utilize it as a weapon with more designed runs.
The New England Patriots had no answer for it on Monday night as Fields racked up over 80 yards on the ground, including a touchdown. Experts have taken notice of how effective he’s become since embracing his legs as a weapon. One former player went so far as to say he’s almost as dangerous as the most lethal running quarterback in football. Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark said on ESPN that he thinks Fields is only one step below Lamar Jackson in that department.
Justin Fields has more natural passing talent.
While Jackson has proven to be a very good passer, he still has limitations that hold him back from being in the same conversation as Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. Fields has no such limitations. He has the arm strength and accuracy to make any throw in the playbook. He might be one of the three or four best deep ball throwers in the league already. If he can learn to process at the same speed Jackson has, he might become a better player.
That is the craziest part of all of this. People don’t understand how gifted Justin Fields is. There isn’t anything he can’t do from a physical standpoint. It was always a question of whether he could handle the mental speed of the pro level. Early indications weren’t promising. However, there have been signs of life in recent weeks. His passer rating is higher, and he’s learning how to navigate muddy pockets. If the Bears continue utilizing his legs as a weapon, his effectiveness (and confidence) will keep growing.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
It’s a pretty big step though … what still bugs me is half the time he can’t throw a Screen Pass, isn’t that a good place to start?
Sure hope the Bears don’t give up on him.