Anybody who has watched the NFL for long enough knows one thing. Physical ability alone might keep you employed for a period of time, but if you want to be great? You better be prepared to work. Football is a complicated and complex game. Especially for quarterbacks. They’re required to know not only their own responsibilities from snap to snap but also that of the 10 other men on the field. What protections should the offensive line deliver? What routes do the receivers have to run? Where should the running backs line up. It’s a massive amount of information to absorb and retain. Justin Fields knows this well.
In order to excel in this game, especially at the NFL level? He has to be what they call a student of the game. Somebody that puts in countless hours reading the playbook and watching film. Doing everything in their power to master their craft. The more information you can retain and process quickly? The better you become as a quarterback. It appears the Chicago Bears 1st round pick has the right idea. His approach to learning the new offense has been as thorough and meticulous as you’d expect.
Anybody who studied in high school or college can relate.
Flashcards may seem old school but they’re always a great way to organize information. Fields’ approach was simple enough. Write the name of a play on a card and then draw it out on the other side. He would then look at the formation of the play and try to determine which one it is. This he will do over and over again until he has the details mastered. Nothing fancy. Just straightforward and efficient.
This approach figures to serve him well in the long run. The benefits already showed up in his first practice when Fields took aside a young receiver to explain how he ran the wrong route. It won’t be too long before he’s doing that on a regular basis. Not to mention setting protections and know where to go with the football in every situation.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Justin Fields isn’t going to be a “good soldier” this summer
While he respects and trusts the coaching staff to have a plan for him, his job isn’t to sit around and wait for his shot. Fields made it clear on Friday that he will practice and play over the next four months with one goal. Being the starting quarterback on opening night in Los Angeles against the Rams. If the plan is to sit him for the time being? That’s fine. His job is to make that decision by head coach Matt Nagy much tougher than anticipated.
Plenty of Bears fans are anxious to see him out there immediately. It comes down to whether Andy Dalton can hold him off. The veteran quarterback has experience on his side. Not to mention a strong connection with offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. Thus far the coaches haven’t backed off their original plan. One can imagine that won’t change for the time being.
By this time in August?
Things change fast in the NFL. If Justin Fields can demonstrate a similar mental grasp of the offense as Dalton by that point, then his physical superiority will do the rest. Dalton does have a one-month head start on him though. That should make their upcoming competition all the more fun to watch.
