The Chicago Bears offense found another new way to look anemic on national television. Justin Fields threw for 70 yards on 7-of-11 passes. To think such a number existed in the 2022 NFL is a sobering reminder of where this franchise is. People struggled to find reasons why the coaching staff didn’t work harder to get him in a passing rhythm. The answer was pretty straightforward, and it came from Fields himself.
The quarterback was asked about the lack of pass attempts after the game. He revealed that it was by design, for the most part. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy went into the week with a simple objective. He wanted to run the ball. The belief was Green Bay was vulnerable on the ground, and the Bears had the necessary pieces to exploit it. In that regard, he was right. Chicago gashed the Packers for 180 yards and a touchdown.
So why didn’t it work?
Justin Fields says they got behind the sticks too much.
The Bears executed their plan perfectly in the opening drive. David Montgomery ran the ball four times in seven plays, and Fields finished it off with a TD. Then on the next drive, the quarterback tried to pass three times in a row. He got sacked to lose five yards, and then a pass to Montgomery lost another four. The Bears went three-and-out. A false start to begin the next drive immediately put them in a hole. Then coming out in the second half, Fields again tried to pass three straight times.
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It wasn’t until midway through the 3rd quarter that the Bears finally went back to their original game plan. Lots of Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. They drove 43 yards for a field goal on the first one and 89 yards on the second. If not for a questionable booth review, Justin Fields would’ve had his second touchdown run of the night.
This game was a harsh lesson for Getsy. If he has a plan in mind, he must stick to it from start to finish. Running for 180 yards and still only scoring 10 points is unacceptable. Fields should’ve had a way easier time throwing the football last night but didn’t. While the QB deserves some blame for that, the coaches failed him too.
