Blame is getting thrown in all directions after the ugly loss to Green Bay on Sunday. The coaches got it for their baffling game plan that leaned away from the Chicago Bears’ strengths. The offensive and defensive lines both looked overmatched, especially along the interiors. Then there was Justin Fields. While some had sympathy for him due to the rough protection, there was a growing undercurrent of frustration with his inability to progress as a pocket passer. It was more of the same from what they saw in 2022.
Pro Football Focus charted how many pressures the Packers defense had on Fields. It worked out to 36. That is a lot, obviously. However, where it gets interesting is that 25 of those pressures allowed were credited to the Bears’ offensive line, tight ends, and running backs. Those numbers don’t match up. This means that 11 of those pressures are believed to have resulted from Fields himself. He held the ball too long or ran into pressure that wasn’t there. It showed up multiple times on tape.
Justin Fields doesn’t know how to help himself.
Protection is supposed to be a symbiotic relationship. Yes, the offensive line must do their part by making their blocks. However, it’s almost impossible to be perfect at all times in the NFL. A quarterback must learn to help himself by pulling the trigger quickly. This is a regular problem Fields has. NFL Next Gen Stats charted Fields with the fourth-longest time to throw in 2022 at 3.12 seconds. Even worse, he coupled this with an aggressiveness percentage of 9.1, the lowest in the NFL. That is the percentage of time he threw the ball into tight windows.
So not only was Justin Fields holding the ball too long, but he often didn’t bother to make an aggressive play when he did. It was more of the same against Green Bay. Fields had the seventh-highest time to throw at 2.95 seconds and an aggressiveness rating of 2.7%. There is no getting around it. He refuses to turn the ball loose unless the protection is perfect and the receiver is WIDE open. That is why he is so easy to defend as a passer.
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Nothing about this is easy to admit. Fields is such a great talent. Unfortunately, talent alone doesn’t cut it in the NFL. You need a certain processing speed and aggression level to thrive at this level. So far, he hasn’t shown enough of either.
