The classic approach to running the ball more will help Fields get better.
Fields showed glimpses of his immense potential but his final stats for the 2022 season show a young quarterback who struggled mightily to adjust to the NFL.
He threw for 1870 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He completed just 58.9% of his passes, had 12 fumbles, and was sacked 36 times. Some of the fumbles and sacks can be attributed to a poor offensive line. Fields played a role by holding onto the ball too long.
Expecting him to get rid of the ball quicker, understanding the difference between a wide receiver being NFL open and college open, and reading defenses better is not unreasonable.
Also, a run game can help a quarterback develop. I know it is an old school notion in a pass-happy NFL but it has worked in the past.
New England was a run-first offense as Tom Brady grew into the legend he is today. Marshawn Lynch was the star of the Seattle Seahawks’ offense as Russell Wilson developed into a franchise quarterback. Josh Allen handed the ball off in his second season to a top-10 rushing attack in Buffalo.
Running the ball sets up the play-action pass. Play action sets up a long of big plays downfield. That plays to Fields’ strengths and what Eberflus wants to do on offense.
Tuesday praise from Matt Eberflus on Justin Fields: "Man, he throws a good deep ball. I'm excited about that. ... We're going to take our shots down the field."
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) May 24, 2022
A good defense can also help Fields develop. Limiting points and getting turnovers will make sure the Bears are not in shootouts. With two young offensive tackles, being in a high-scoring, back-and-forth game is not exactly an ideal situation.
Also, Larry Borom and Teven Jenkins taking a step forward as blockers can go a long way towards Fields’ development. If those two can pass block effectively, Fields will not be running for his life like he did last season.