Justin Fields is under a lot of pressure to perform in 2022. Chicago Bears were hyped for him last season and were more than a little disappointed by the results. They have high expectations for improvement this season. Not an easy task considering Fields is in a brand new offense with several questions surrounding him on the offensive roster. Especially at wide receiver and the offensive line. That doesn’t mean there is no room for optimism.
As the team prepares for the NFL draft, it feels like some people haven’t grasped how different this season will be. Especially from a coaching perspective. Nobody embodies that more than offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. He brings a system with him from Green Bay that is proven around the NFL, championed by guys like Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. It is a system that can help turn even average quarterbacks into success stories.
Yet it goes beyond even that with Getsy.
One part of his arrival that is getting overlooked is the impact he can have on the wide receiver position. The young assistant coach has worked with the position going back over a decade at both the college and NFL levels. History shows he can have an immediate impact on productivity. For example, the Packers had the 25th-ranked passing offense in 2015. None of their receivers managed to crack 900 yards for that season.
In 2016, Jordy Nelson exploded for over 1200 yards and 14 touchdowns despite coming off a torn ACL. Davante Adams also added 997 yards and 12 touchdowns after two rather average years in 2014 and 2015. Aaron Rodgers threw the third-most TDs of his career. That wasn’t an isolated incident. Getsy showed his ability to elevate receivers upon his return to Green Bay in 2019. Allen Lazard was a forgotten undrafted player who did little the year before. In his first season with Getsy, he broke out for 477 yards. Second-best mark on the team. Last season, he scored eight touchdowns.
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Justin Fields can trust Getsy to get the situation around him right.
Receivers running the wrong routes or not paying attention to details. Those types of things should happen way less often than they did under Matt Nagy. Getsy has a reputation for harping on the little things. He makes sure his players never cut corners. This is a big reason the Packers were often able to execute so well in tough situations, and the Bears weren’t. That is all anybody can ask of an offensive coordinator.
If Justin Fields is cut out to be in the NFL, he should be able to take advantage of what Getsy will provide. Darnell Mooney could take a big step forward, which is saying something. Given his background, the Bears may also have better luck identifying wide receiver talent in the looming NFL draft. People need to consider the strong possibility that Getsy’s coaching will get more out of this passing game than his predecessor managed.
There is a reason Rodgers didn’t want him to leave.
Pessimism is as natural as breathing these days for Bears fans. Particularly when it comes to the quarterback positon. Fields has plenty of doubters both nationally and locally. Still, if he cleans up some of his fundamental issues and Getsy has the projected impact he should on the passing game, the results should be what people hope for before 2022 is over.
