It’s Now Clear What Offense Bears Are Building For Justin Fields

People had assumptions about the type of offense Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy would ultimately build around Justin Fields. Immediate assumptions were it’d be a carbon copy of the Green Bay Packers’ offenses of the past few years. Others felt Getsy might try to mirror Kyle Shanahan’s system in San Francisco. While the scheme does have nuts and bolts from those teams, the truth was made clear from the start. Getsy would forge a system that best fits the talents of Fields.

Finding that identity was difficult through the first month of the season. Now following October and specifically the trade for Chase Claypool, there is no longer any doubt about what the Bears are aiming for. Last year, former tight end Jimmy Graham turned heads when he dropped an eye-opening comparison for Fields.

“At some point I’ve got to get him matched up with a guy up there in Seattle. Especially, you know, the ability to make plays while you’re running, I think he’s going to have — it’s been impressive to see him so young, so focused. And I can tell it definitely reminds me a lot of Russell Wilson.”

Since then, it’s easy to see the comparison.

Like Wilson, Fields is a terrific athlete that is dangerous on scrambles. He uses his legs as a weapon. However, he is most dangerous when he throws the deep ball. Wilson is arguably the best vertical quarterback in the league. Both have the ability and the willingness to attack down the field. Seattle leaned into those strengths and eventually found the perfect offense for Wilson in 2019. It featured a consistent ground attack and two dynamic wide receivers in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

Metcalf was the big, strong, and fast target that bullied cornerbacks on the outside. Meanwhile, Lockett was the equally fast and shifty route-runner that moved into the slot where he wreaked havoc. Seattle also had the 3rd-ranked rushing attack that year. Suddenly the Bears look like a doppelganger with the #1 running game, Claypool playing the Metcalf role, and Darnell Mooney as Lockett. Everything makes sense.

Justin Fields should be excited right about now.

Russell Wilson enjoyed the greatest stretch of his career between 2019 and 2020. With that style of offense in place, he threw for 8,322 yards, 71 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions for a 105.7 passer rating. Seattle went 33-9 during that stretch despite a defense that never ranked higher than 22nd. It speaks to how well the new Bears’ regime of Poles and Eberflus did when evaluating their young quarterback. That this was the vision they eventually reached.

Now nobody is saying Claypool and Mooney are Metcalf and Lockett. The talent is similar, but not the productivity. At least not yet. It will be interesting to see if those two can play off each other as well as the Seahawks duo has. If Chicago even 70% of the same results, Justin Fields is about to enjoy a far more productive stretch in the coming weeks. That will be doubly true if the offensive line can give him any protection.