6 things to watch for when the Chicago Bears face the Kansas City Chiefs
By Todd Welter
Justin Fields shows he is getting better.
The last time we saw Justin Fields play he was sacked three times and spent most of the time running for his life against the Minnesota Vikings. Fields did not have a great rookie season by any stretch of the imagination.
He threw just seven touchdowns along with 10 interceptions. There were flashes of his immense potential but because of a combination of poor coaching, poor offensive line play, and Fields’ own mistakes, he did not leave the 2021 season showing that he is a no doubt superstar like his talent ceiling possesses.
Fields had trouble with holding onto the ball too long which lead to some untimely fumbles or taking unnecessary sacks. He struggled with recognizing the difference between college wide-open (the receiver is literally wide-open) and NFL wide-open (the receiver may have a step on his man or you just got to trust the receiver will be at the spot the ball needs to be).
Former head coach Matt Nagy did not do Fields any favors with his game plans or a lack of a true development plan. Ironically, Nagy will be on the Chiefs’ sideline as he is now Kansas City’s quarterbacks coach.
Fields gets a chance to show his former coach and the NFL that he is ready to make a jump from a mediocre rookie season to at least a solid NFL starter in his second year.
One area new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has had Fields work on is his footwork. This focus on a key fundamental hopefully can help Fields be more accurate with his passes. Also, Fields is an offensive system that fits his strengths–something Nagy refused to do with his offense last season.
Reports out of training camp are Fields is having an up-and-down camp. He has looked sharp in his last two practices.
As for me being out here only this week, that is far and beyond the best day for the #Bears offense in training camp.
— Chris Maltby (@ChrisMaltbyBD) August 11, 2022
Justin Fields was sharp and got some good help from his receivers all day today.
Herbert/Blasingame looked great as well.#BearsCamp
Hopefully, Fields can carry those last two practices over into a solid game. He needs to show in those 15-20 snaps that he can get the ball out quick and make better decisions with the ball. The success of the Bears will depend on how Fields develops so showing some strides in this game will go a long way in making everyone feel comfortable that he can be a good quarterback.