People are trying to figure out what is going on with Justin Fields. They were expecting the player that looked electric at times last season, hopefully with the added bonus of better weapons. Instead, the Chicago Bears have watched their quarterback look even less effective than the most pessimistic projections. Nobody could’ve seen this coming. However, that’s not entirely true. One person feared this could be the outcome. That is former Bears tight end Greg Olsen.
The three-time Pro Bowler is now one of FOX’s top color commentators for NFL games. He got to see Fields play a few times last season. There was no question in his mind the kid had the potential to take the next step. However, he did have one big fear. He told Waddle & Silvy on ESPN 1000 a few months ago. His concern was that the Bears would be intent on helping him become a more effective pocket passer so strongly that they would neglect what made Fields so effective last season.
His rushing ability. Through two games, he has 13 carries. That puts him on pace for 110 rushing attempts this season, 50 less than last year.
Greg Olsen proved somewhat prophetic in his assessment.
The Bears have clearly emphasized helping Fields become a more polished passer. It made sense. They’d improved the offensive line and gave him a #1 wide receiver in D.J. Moore. This felt like the time to have him show he could play from the pocket. Sadly, it hasn’t worked. Fields still struggles with reading the field fast enough and takes way too many sacks. Meanwhile, the running game hasn’t gotten going. That is largely because defenses no longer fear the quarterback keeping the ball himself.
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If the Bears coaching staff wants to keep their jobs beyond 2023, they have to change that. It may not be what they planned, but there comes a point in time where you have to do what works. The offense flourished when Justin Fields used his legs as a primary weapon. Greg Olsen knew this because he played with Cam Newton for so many years. Such an approach does lead to more hits on the quarterback, but sometimes it’s a necessary sacrifice to win football games. That is where the Bears are at.
