Justin Fields is just not as good as everyone thinks

Justin Fields is being hailed as the best quarterback from the 2021 NFL Draft and the undeniable future of the Chicago Bears. There is even talk of Fields being an MVP candidate. Let’s pump the brakes.

The Bears are currently last in the NFC North with a record of 3-7 and are on a three-game losing streak heading into Week 11. The Bears are 0-3 in their division. Despite their losses and regardless of the fact that their only wins came against the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, and the San Francisco 49ers (the only win worth mentioning) the sports world is going ballistic about quarterback Justin Fields.

Why? Because he has been running the ball effectively and efficiently. The Bears’ offense is ranked first in almost every category related to running the ball; rush play percentage (59.6%-1st), yards per rush (5.6-1st), rushes per game (36.0-1st), and rush yards per game (201.7-1st).

Justin Fields: He can pass

Now let’s look at the other side of the quarterback’s responsibility; throwing the ball. Fields and the rest of the Bears’ offense are ranked a bit differently when it comes to passing. They rank 32nd in pass play percentage (as expected) with 40.4%, 32nd in passing yards per game 128.1, and 32nd in passes per game with 20.8.

If the Bears are passing the ball so infrequently then why is Fields tied for 4th in most interceptions thrown this season (7)? It is possible that while Fields can run with the best of them (yes we will get to that part) he is not a great passer.

Fields has landed in the bottom six quarterbacks in the league (backups included) when it comes to his completion percentage at 58.9%. Fields has yet to throw for more than 300 yards this season and has 12 passing touchdowns with his 7 aforementioned interceptions.

Justin Fields: He can run

Now onto the topic that has led some of the biggest names in sports media to ask the bold question “Is Justin Fields an MVP Candidate?”. Obviously, this question is not based on Fields’ proficiency as a passer but rather his ability to run.

Fields is the top-ranked rushing quarterback in the league with 749 yards, 7.2 yards per rushing attempt, and has scored 6 rushing touchdowns. These are top-tier statistics and Bears fans have a reason to be excited about Fields.

After studying a substantial amount of Fields’ tape he makes a lot of these runs on read options, poor blocking by his offensive line forcing him to run, but Fields also decides to scramble for other reasons.

Is it because his wide receivers can’t get open? Sometimes, but definitely not always. The Bears recently added former Steelers receiver Chase Claypool to their roster to compliment their top wideout Darnell Mooney.

Fields has even more options now but he still chooses to run because he is not processing his reads quickly enough to get the ball out and deliver effective and accurate passes. A quarterback rushing is a crowd pleaser and gets fans excited but these are more common with quarterbacks with speed but a lack of confidence in their throwing ability and difficulty in making those tough completions.

Justin Fields: He’s a QB/RB like Lamar Jackson

Fields is no exception. The other troubling side of this new excitement is that when Lamar Jackson was getting ready for the draft it was suggested that he switch positions and try out running back. The issue with the Heisman Trophy winner switching to running back is that he is a true dual-threat quarterback in NFL and can prove it.

Jackson won the MVP Award in 2019 and has made the playoffs in three out of his first four seasons in the league. Currently, Jackson is second in the league in rushing yards with 635 yards, has 16 touchdowns with 6 interceptions, a completion percentage of 62.3% and his Baltimore Ravens are 6-3 and hold first place in the AFC North division. But Jackson should have switched to running back while Justin Fields is being touted as an MVP candidate? Something is missing here.

With Fields’ rushing ability comes another disturbing statistic; fumbles. Fields may have rushed for 6 touchdowns but he compliments that with 12 fumbles. Twelve. To compare Lamar Jackson has four fumbles total and rushed the ball 18 fewer times than Fields.

Justin Fields: The “famous” 49ers game

The game that media personalities and fans prefer to reference when Fields is discussed as a “top tier quarterback” is their Week 1 win against the San Francisco 49ers. There are several factors to take into account if this is the game you want to hang your hat on for the “Justin Fields is elite” debate.

1.) Week 1 is normally an odd week of football as far as results go. As it stands the 49ers are currently 5-4 and 2nd in their division despite losing to the Bears that week.

2.) The win was more a testament to the poor play of 49ers quarterback Trey Lance than it was the strong play of Justin Fields.

3.) Fields finished that game completing 8 of his 17 pass attempts for 121 yards throwing for 2 touchdowns with 1 interception. Fields rushed for 28 yards on 11 carries for an average of 2.5 yards per rush. I’ll say that again; 2.5 yards per rush.

Justin Fields: Does he have potential?

To end this discussion Justin Fields is definitely improving as a quarterback and is an efficient runner. But part of being a quarterback is also throwing the ball and the NFL has a way of figuring out running quarterbacks sooner rather than later.

If teams can force Fields to throw the ball more than 25 times (which he has only done twice) he will have to be more accurate and throw for more than 200 yards (which he has only done once). Can Fields refine his throwing technique and work in the offseason to become a more effective passer like Jackson and Josh Allen did in their early seasons? Absolutely.

But the MVP talk is premature and on some level ridiculous. Running alone will not save the Bears and it clearly is not doing wonders for their season thus far as they face another season of missing the playoffs and finishing at the bottom of the NFC North. Justin Fields is being overhyped and for his sake and the expectations of his fan base; dial it down.