There has been awful lot of discussion around Justin Fields this year. Can he live up to his pre-draft hype? Can he be the long-term answer for the Bears? We’re still some way off definitely answering those questions, but if his Week 9 outing against Miami is anything to go by things are trending in the right direction.
The Bears might have narrowly lost the game, but Fields kept things close right until the end. He also managed to set an NFL record for rushing yards in a single game by a quarterback. He finished with 178 rushing yards, breaking Michael Vick’s record that has stood for two decades. So how did he do it? Let’s dive into the film and find out.
Creating outside of structure
One of the big factors in Fields’ impressive showing against Miami was his ability to create his own yardage outside of structure. That propensity to turn bad plays into great ones is what helped the Bears’ offense to keep pace with the high-powered Dolphins.
This play is a perfect example of Fields turning a negative into a positive. Left guard Cody Whitehair (#65) is beaten as soon as Fields hits the top of his drop. At this point Jaelen Phillips (#15) seemed destined to get the sack. Instead, Fields manages to spin out and make him miss. The Dolphins have Channing Tindall (#41) playing as a spy to neutralise Fields’ rushing potential, but the quarterback just runs past him and picks up a first down.
On this next play we once again see Fields making up for the mistakes of his offensive line. Left tackle Braxton Jones (#70) is beaten almost immediately by Bradley Chubb (#2) who gets his hands on the quarterback. Fields senses the pressure and manages to slide up and out of the pocket. The Dolphins are running the exact same coverage on this play and Fields once again outruns the spy and picks up another first down.
This next play was perhaps the most memorable of the entire game and perfectly encapsulates Fields’ ability to create his own yardage. The Bears are running the mesh concept, which is a staple play you will find at every level of football. The quarterback is assigned with reading if the defense is in man or zone. If it is man, the focus is on the two crossing routes. Against zone he will try and hit the sit route over the middle of the field.
Pressure once again flushes Fields out of the pocket, but he does a nice job of keeping his eyes downfield. He spots Darnell Mooney (#11) open in the middle of the field and is about to rip the throw before Mooney shoots downfield, thinking it is a scramble drill. Fields aborts the throw and tucks the ball, before scampering for a 61-yard gain. There aren’t many quarterbacks in the NFL capable of beating a defense with their legs in the manner that Fields does here.
Designed running game
Whilst he was always a pocket passer at Ohio State, Fields’ athletic ability has always lent itself well to a dual threat role. As the season has progressed, we have started to see the Bears staff incorporate more of that into their gameplan.
Plays like this show why it is such a valuable thing to have. Fields shows great vision and quickness here. He does a good job of reading his left guard’s block and when he sees the defender has won outside leverage, he cuts the run back inside. He then shows the elusiveness to slalom through the defense before sliding for a first down.
This next play is perhaps even more impressive. The Bears are running a simple zone read play. Fields is responsible for reading the edge defender Jaelen Phillips (#15). If he crashes down inside, Fields will tuck the ball and head for the vacated space. If he stays put, Fields will simply hand the ball off to his running back.
What makes this play so impressive is that Fields actually makes the wrong read yet rips off a huge gain. Phillips doesn’t crash down on the running back, so in theory this should be a simple handoff. Instead, Fields keeps the ball. For most quarterbacks this would be tantamount to suicide and Phillips would pad his stat sheet with an easy tackle for loss. In reality, Fields just turns on the jets and beats him to the edge.
Making the tough throws
Fields’ production on the ground naturally drew the headlines, especially by beating Michael Vick’s record. That said, for me it was his progression as a passer that stood out. On this play the Bears are running a smash fade concept to the bottom of the screen, which is a simple two-man high-low combo. That is normally where the quarterback’s eyes will go, although he has another option. Chase Claypool is running the “alert” route at the top of the screen, which means that Fields can target him if the pre-snap picture is right.
In this case, it is. Claypool is running a go route, and with the Dolphins showing a single high safety before the snap, Fields knows his receiver has a one-on-one. He does an excellent job holding the free safety in the middle of the field with his eyes after the snap, before ripping the ball to Claypool from a congested pocket. Claypool doesn’t haul it in because of defensive pass interference, but you can’t fault the throw.
This next play isn’t so much about the throw as it is about how Fields makes it happen. The Bears are in a condensed formation with two tight ends on the field. Everything about this formation says that it is a run, but that’s precisely what the Bears want Miami to think. Instead they are running a play action pass and Fields does an outstanding job of faking the handoff.
You can see what this does to Miami’s linebackers, who all flow straight towards the running back. The eye candy allows Cole Kmet (#85) to get wide open on a drag route. Fields holds up his end of the bargain, avoiding the free rusher and delivering the pass for a touchdown.
This next play is another great example of Fields’ accuracy and decision making. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy also deserves plenty of credit for calling the perfect play in this situation. Darnell Mooney (#11) is running a slot fade from the No.3 receiver spot. To guarantee a one-on-one, Chase Claypool (#10) runs a vertical route from the No.2 spot. This occupies the other cornerback and holds the safety in the middle of the field.
Fields knows that this leaves his receiver in another one-on-one situation. Once again there is pressure in the pocket that limits his ability to step into the throw. It doesn’t stop him though, and Fields delivers another perfect pass for his receiver, which is caught this time for a touchdown.
The Bears might have lost that game, but the performance from their young quarterback will still carry a lot of weight. Fields seems to be finding his feet in this new offense and the staff is also using him better. There’s still plenty of football to play this season, but if Fields continues like this, the Bears should be very confident entering the offseason with a tonne of money to invest around him.
