Looking at the box score will say Justin Fields had an average day against the San Francisco 49ers last week. He struggled in the first half, made some adjustments in the second, and played great the rest of the way. His 85 passer rating disguised some of the glimpses he showed of how much better he’s gotten at playing quarterback. One person who didn’t miss the signs was, ironically, one of his biggest critics, Chris Simms.
The former QB admitted Fields surprised him with the improvements made from last year. Simms famously ranked the Bears signal-caller fourth among the quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL draft. He already regrets that decision. When reviewing the tape against San Francisco, Simms was even more impressed. Two things stood out. One was Fields’ ability to identify coverages before and then process them after the snap. The play that illustrates this was his game-winning touchdown pass to Equanimeous St. Brown in the 4th quarter.
If he had executed the play how it was drawn up, the touchdown would never have happened. The quarterback made it happen by recognizing a 49ers mistake.
One should not forget this is a new offense. He is learning it every week. Expecting Fields to execute like Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen right now is unreasonable. Neither reached their peaks until having spent at least one entire season in their respective systems. Fields deserves the same consideration. If he can impact games like that already, then it stands to reason he will only get better as the season progresses. Getting a more manageable schedule would be nice.
After visiting Green Bay on Sunday, the Bears will face a series of opponents that didn’t play well last year. Their next two, Houston and New York, have brand new coaching staffs. Justin Fields may get a chance to showcase some of what he can really do in those games. Then again, nothing figures to come easy for him until the Bears can start stockpiling high-end talent around him.
