Chicago Bears: 5 mind-blowing Justin Fields statistics
By Ryan Heckman
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is unbeatable from a clean pocket
As we found out last year, the Bears didn’t have a shot in the world with Foles under center. Because he was a statue, Foles needed a perfectly clean pocket to even have a chance at executing the offense.
Now, in his defense, the Bears’ offensive line did go through some tough injuries. Pass protection became a pain point for this line up until maybe the last six games of the season when the unit finally figured things out.
For Fields, this line’s improvement is going to do him wonders. Sure, he’s mobile and can make plays on his own. But, he’s also one of the best quarterbacks in football when passing from a clean pocket.
In the past three seasons, Fields graded the highest from a clean pocket — yes, even higher than Joe Burrow during his record-breaking season.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1394382216461959170?s=20
One could definitely argue that Fields benefited from having an excellent offensive line in college, and while that’s true, he also had to make plenty of his own plays on the ground. Fields simply knew when it was time to use his legs. He didn’t panic in a pocket that looked as if it could potentially collapse. He will hang in there for one more half second and deliver a throw while protected.
If he has to, he’ll take off and run. But, Fields is incredibly aware in the pocket and understands what a clean pocket looks like versus an actually collapsing pocket.