Justin Fields had another difficult game on Sunday against the New York Giants. He again finished with under 200 yards passing, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and 52 yards rushing. In fairness, the problems weren’t primarily on him this time around. His offensive protection was bad, and the wide receivers dropped a few key passes. It would be easier to write him off as a lost cause because he’s bad. Yet that ignores the greater problem at play here.
The Chicago Bears don’t know how to help him. It’s not like they don’t want to. It is more like they aren’t able to. Watching Fields’ situation play out over the past month has started to give off familiar vibes. That is when it hit me. This is Sam Darnold all over again. For those who may not remember, Darnold was a highly-touted prospect from USC that went 3rd overall to the New York Jets in 2018. Expectations were sky high for him. By 2021 he was gone from the team, never managing to realize his potential. I decided to compare his early run with the Jets to Fields’ in Chicago. I wish I hadn’t.
Sam Darnold
- Saw the head coach and GM replaced in his second season.
- Poor offensive weapons.
- Sacked 36 times in his first 15 starts.
- Sub-60% completion rate.
Justin Fields
- Saw the head coach and GM replaced in his second season.
- Poor offensive weapons.
- Sacked 44 times in his first 15 starts.
- Sub-60% completion rate.
People will say Darnold was never any good. The truth is he never had a chance to prove it. He had to change offensive systems after only one season. His wide receiver options were mostly dismal during that stretch. Worst of all, his offensive line was made up of turnstiles. The guy was running for his life almost constantly. Eventually, he stopped trusting his eyes, too worried about where the next hit was coming from.
Justin Fields is in survival mode, not development mode.
He’s been sacked 16 times in four games now. That puts him on pace for 68 by the end of the season. The human body can only take so much punishment. Even if the young quarterback doesn’t get knocked out by an injury, it’s hard to imagine he’ll not end up shell-shocked by the time 2022 comes to a close. The Bears are doing everything they can to help. They’re committed to running the ball and utilizing lots of play action.
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It isn’t working. The offensive line can’t pass protect with any consistency and Justin Fields doesn’t show any trust in his receivers outside of Darnell Mooney. None of them are getting open with any regularity. The schedule isn’t going to get any easier moving forward. The 3-1 Minnesota Vikings are up next with the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys not much further on the horizon. Both teams boast top-of-the-line defenses this year.
Imagine Micah Parson lined up against this offensive front.
That should give you an idea of how bad it could get for Fields. He can’t get the ball out fast, hence why he relies on scrambling. It has worked to an extent, but it’s also leading to extra hits on his body. Darnold will forever be known as a bust in the NFL. The sad part is he never had much of a chance. That same fate could be facing the Bears’ young quarterback.
