Last month Justin Fields posted on Instagram that he was working down in Georgia. The tagline used was “Back to Basics.” That offered a hint that he was aiming to fix some issues with his game that perhaps the new coaching staff picked up after watching his rookie tape. Given the difficult year he had with seven touchdowns, ten interceptions, and 12 forced fumbles, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Everything can use refinement, from his footwork in the pocket to his eye manipulation.
There is one area that many experts have taken issue with since his time at Ohio State. His throwing motion. Conventional wisdom says a quarterback should bring the ball up from the snap directly under his ear while executing a throw. See Dan Marino for a perfect example. Fields didn’t do that. He had more of a windup motion, bringing his arm far back before rolling it forward almost like a trebuchet. While this can help add velocity to a pass, it also opens the QB up to strip-sacks.
In the Bears’ loss to Tampa Bay last season, Jason Pierre-Paul demonstrated why.
Todd Bowles used a lot of late movement/disguise + zone pressure vs. QB Justin Fields.
Spin the secondary post-snap. Drop defenders into throwing lanes. And win the pass rush matchups.
Pierre-Paul sack/strip here. @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/j0HsIulNwT
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) October 25, 2021
Going into the 2022 offseason, it would make sense the coaches would want to tighten that up. Especially if Fields intended to keep holding the ball, waiting for bigger plays down the field. That is why a recent Instagram post by Simeon Kelly, his personal trainer, was interesting. It showed the quarterback going through drills on a practice field, throwing to his left—nothing out of the ordinary at first glance.
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Then Kelly slowed the video down to a specific sequence. Upon closer inspection, it appears Fields has made some alterations to his throwing motion. There is less of a windup, and he’s bringing the ball up to his ear much quicker. It isn’t perfect, but the improvement is still noticeable.
Justin Fields is off to a promising start this year
It might seem like a small thing in the grand scheme of things. Don’t be fooled. Any quarterback will say the devil is in the details. Every little bit matters. If adjusting his throwing motion helps Fields deliver the ball even a fraction of a second quicker, it gives him an advantage on Sundays. A fraction of a second can often mean the difference between a strip-sack and a 40-yard touchdown strike.
The next step will be smoothing out his footwork. Like any young quarterback, Justin Fields often lost control of his lower body once the pocket broke down during games. He’d lean on his athleticism to bail him out of trouble rather than navigating around the rush and processing to the next read. Footwork and eye discipline are crucial to being a successful pocket quarterback. That is where he wants to be. Mobility is great, but it shouldn’t be used as a crutch.
It should be just another weapon in his arsenal whenever necessary.
The next few months are going to be fascinating. Fans are anxious to see what offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and the new staff have in store for Fields. Meanwhile, GM Ryan Poles is hard at work trying to piece together a new roster that can hopefully help him take the critical next step.
