Justin Fields remains a central topic of debate for Chicago Bears fans as the 2023 season winds down. The team is 3-8, which is never a great reflection on the quarterback. Still, nobody can say Fields is the main problem with this team. He’s done enough over the past month and a half to swing some arguments in his favor for keeping his job. He has nine touchdown passes and two interceptions in his last four games. Presuming he maintains such a pace over the final six games, there is no way the Bears will move on, right?
Courtney Cronin of ESPN isn’t so sure. While it’s true Fields has played better in recent weeks, there are lingering concerns about him inside Halas Hall. There are the health issues, of course. He’s missed 11 games with various injuries. He also still takes too many sacks, many of them from him holding the ball too long. However, one concern that isn’t talked about enough is how poorly Fields has performed in crunch time.
Cronin alluded to it in her recent column.
“On the first play of Chicago’s last drive, Fields was strip-sacked, and the ball went out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
Chicago’s fate was similar against Denver, when Fields played great for three quarters. As the Bears blew a 21-point lead, the team’s chances of a last-second comeback were halted when Fields threw an interception.
Chicago is looking closely at Fields’ performance in critical situations to determine growth. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Fields has a 4.1 Total QBR with two or fewer minutes remaining in either half with his team trailing this season, which is the worst of any starting quarterback. His completion percentage above expected in those moments is minus-19.4%, just above the Browns’ PJ Walker and Watson and the New York Giants’ Tommy DeVito.”
Justin Fields can’t hide from his big-game shortcomings.
To date, he has thrown 27 interceptions in his career. More than half of them (14) have come in the 4th quarter. There is no getting around the facts. When time is short and games are tight, Fields plays his worst football. Franchise quarterbacks don’t do that. People give Josh Allen a lot of grief for his occasional turnover issues. Then, in the 4th quarter, he transforms. Since 2018, he has 47 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in the final 15 minutes of a game. The 103.6 passer rating is the best of any quarter he plays.
Even Jay Cutler had a better track record than Justin Fields does. Everybody knows championship quarterbacks are the ones who can execute in high-stakes situations. It’s probably not a coincidence that eight of the ten all-time leaders in 4th quarter comebacks have Super Bowl rings. Fields can’t do it alone. He needs help from others, but the numbers are the numbers. Until they start showing more positive signs, it may not matter what happens down the stretch. Doubts will linger about Fields’ ability to perform under pressure.
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