After a disastrous 27-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields looked absolutely lost, a firestorm of questions and doubts have been casted at the young QB.
Speaking to the media, Fields didn’t mince words when describing his performance, characterizing it as “robotic” and feeling like he wasn’t “playing like myself.”
Fields then committed a major sin by seemingly blaming “coaching” for his failings.
“You know, could be coaching, I think,” Fields said when asked why he’s struggling so much. “At the end of the day, they are doing their job when they are giving me what to look at, but at the end of the day, I can’t be thinking about that when the game comes.”
“I prepare myself throughout the week, and then when the game comes, it’s time to play free at that point. Thinking less and playing more.”
Justin Fields mentions “coaching” may be the reason why he’s been playing “so robotic” pic.twitter.com/SXV5aNipie
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 20, 2023
Fields had a challenging outing against the Buccaneers, going 16-of-29 for 211 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He also ran for only 3 yards, a significant drop from his usual performance.
He routinely missed open wide receivers and seemed ultra-slow in processing the defense.
pic.twitter.com/hgvo6f2WKr
This is where Chicago Bears Justin Fields has to be better, letting the play develop before pulling it down and run. #DaBears— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) September 21, 2023
The loss marked the 12th consecutive defeat for the Bears, dating back to October 2022.
Fields acknowledged that he took six sacks during the game, many of which resulted from him remaining in the pocket for too long. He attributed this to the coaching emphasis on pocket presence during the offseason, suggesting that he needs to rely more on his instincts and internal clock to make plays.
“My goal this week is just to say F it and go out there and play football how I know to play football,” Fields expressed passionately. “That includes thinking less and just going out there and playing off of instincts rather than so much, say, info in my head, data in my head. Just literally going out there and playing football. Going back to it’s a game and that’s it.”
“I don’t think it’s too many coaching voices, but I just think when you’re fed a lot of information at a point in time and you’re trying to think about that info when you’re playing, it doesn’t let you play like yourself,” Fields explained. “You’re trying to process so much information to where it’s like, if I just simplify it in my mind, I would have done this.”
Justin Fields: “it could be coaching”
Also Justin Fields: pic.twitter.com/RJVIZBanSh
— A (@twan1021) September 20, 2023
Fields didn’t keep his concerns to himself, though. He spoke with the Bears coaching staff about what he believes went wrong in Tampa Bay, and he felt they were receptive to his input.
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus responded, saying, “He respects that partnership, and so do we. We want him to play free.”
Eberflus emphasized the importance of finding a balance between going through progressions and playing instinctively, acknowledging that Fields wants to perform perfectly but needs to trust his instincts more.
Fields believes that open communication with the coaching staff is a crucial part of the process to improve the team’s performance.
“Nobody is going to take anything personal,” Fields stated. “It’s about working with each other, getting each other better, holding each other accountable and working towards the same goal. In terms of that fact, yeah, I think everybody can do better around here, including myself.”
Justin fields highlights of today pic.twitter.com/ZIHflnKQfa
— BEARS NATION 🐻 👀 (@BADBUNNYSON) September 18, 2023
However, Fields later clarified his comments, insisting that he did not intend to place blame on the coaching staff or his teammates.
“Whenever you hear anything come out of my mouth to where I would blame it on somebody else in this organization, my teammates, never will you hear that. I just want to clear that up. Just know I need to play better. That’s it. Point-blank. That’s what it should have been in the first place.”
Justin Fields clarifies his comments from his press conference earlier pic.twitter.com/veLleoGbnV
— 79th & Halas Podcast (@79thAndHalas) September 20, 2023
Needless to say, it’s quite a mess in Chicago (in more ways than one).
Do you think Fields can be a true franchise quarterback?
Or will time show that he is nothing more than a skilled backup in the NFL?