Justin Fields had issues throwing the ball last season. There is no way around it. His yards per game was the lowest in the NFL, his completion percentage was barely above 60, and his TD-INT ratio was average at 17 to 11. The reasons for this were many. Fields had a persistent issue with holding the football, not getting it out on time and in rhythm as was required in the offense. His footwork was still spotty, leading to some inaccurate passes that could’ve been big plays. This is before getting into his leaky pass protection from the offensive line and the array of subpar weapons he worked with.
All of that while operating in a brand-new offense. One could argue it was the perfect storm of bad circumstances. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to have affected him. Fields worked tirelessly to improve his mastery of the system in the off-season. At the same time, GM Ryan Poles poured tons of resources into bolstering the offense. D.J. Moore arrived via trade. Darnell Wright became their 1st round pick. Robert Tonyan and Nate Davis signed as free agents. People weren’t sure what to expect from Fields once training camp began.
His defensive teammates have noticed one thing already. Linebacker T.J. Edwards and safety Jaquan Brisker both admitted the quarterback is going through progressions and getting the ball out much faster than he did last year. It would explain why he’s had such a strong start to camp.
Justin Fields has everybody operating at a new level.
The common description is the offense has taken on his identity. In other words, they all work hard, give maximum effort in practice, and don’t linger on mistakes when they happen. Sure, there are occasional hiccups, but even Bears beat writers agree they are far fewer than last training camp. That is a welcome sign of where things are headed. Fields’ confidence is growing. He no longer questions everything happening around him. He’s taking command of the offense, making it his own. That is something offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has strived for since last year.
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Obviously, the ultimate test is still to come. Justin Fields must carry this positive momentum into actual games. That is always the most challenging part. It’s fitting the Green Bay Packers will be his first test this September. Their defense has given him problems over the past two years, especially through the air. If he can put together a productive afternoon against their talented secondary, people will start to think he has turned a corner.
