Matt Nagy was the biggest champion for the Chicago Bears to draft Justin Fields last year. He saw the natural talent the Ohio State star had. If cultivated properly, Fields had the potential to be great. Unfortunately, Nagy still felt he was the best man to undertake such a task despite clear evidence by that point he was not. The best plan he could come up with was to bench Fields for 2021 and let him learn behind Andy Dalton.
There was no backup plan either. You know, just in case Dalton gets injured. The worst happened two weeks into the season as the veteran went down with a knee injury. Fields was forced into action. It didn’t take long to realize Nagy was completely unprepared for that scenario. The Bears kept running play designs as if Dalton were still out there. They never really adjusted the scheme to fit Fields’ strengths. Especially his mobility. Nothing exemplifies this ineptitude better than a stat revealed by ESPN analytics expert Seth Walder showcasing how often teams called designed rollouts on offense.
Take a look at where the Bears ranked.
Designed rollouts are an offensive advantage above and beyond play action, which they usually are run in conjunction with.
Here is how often each team ran designed rollouts as a percentage of dropbacks. pic.twitter.com/hZDV9WK1lQ
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) July 15, 2022
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Justin Fields looks good, takes the lead with a touchdown pass on a rollout.
Meanwhile, the rookie QB the #49ers picked ahead of Fields, isn't ready to play yet according to the coach that picked him.pic.twitter.com/uNKnOaxfKH
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 31, 2021
Matt Nagy called few rollouts for one of the NFL’s fastest QBs.
That is incredible. Remember Fields ran a 4.41 at his pro day last year, and that was after stumbling. He can outrun almost anybody on a football field. Yet the Bears never seemed to take advantage of it by getting him out on the move. By contrast, look at the Seattle Seahawks. They had Russell Wilson and ranked #2 in the league. They made sure to take full advantage of his mobility, and he had one of his most efficient seasons. Even the Cleveland Browns ran more rollouts with the somewhat statuesque Baker Mayfield.
It is amazing Matt Nagy had such low-hanging fruit in front of him, and he never bothered to reach for it. The good news is the Bears likely have somebody in charge that will. Luke Getsy comes from the outside-zone offensive tree. That system is notorious for making rollouts and bootlegs a central part of its scheme. The Rams (1st), 49ers (10th), and Packers (12th) proved that again last season. Don’t be surprised when Fields is on the move a lot more this season.
