Justin Fields has improved - but enough?

I love your confidence, man.

Maybe we should set more modest goals first -- like NOT finishing last in the division and bottom-5 in the NFL in passing offense.

The question is how much of that from college can translate into the NFL.  In college he had a dominant OL and dominant WRs.  There's much more parity in the NFL.  Even the best OLs and best WRs in the NFL still face damn good pass rushers and cornerbacks.  Its not like in college where often those guys are going up against much lower competition who will never get drafted.  

He's never gonna have 5 seconds to throw in the NFL.  No matter if you put 4 stud OLs in front of him, he's never gonna get that in the pros.  3 seconds max

He's gonna have get way better at the short-to-intermediate level game.  He's gonna have to get way better at diagnosing and beating zone coverages.  His "clock" needs to get faster.

After Packers beat Bears week 18, Rasul Douglas talked some smack about their defensive game plan.  They did it about Trubisky too after week 1 in 2019.  Maybe kind of a dick move, but he wasn't wrong.  The formula for beating Fields is to contain him in the pocket, spy him, and play zone.  He hasn't shown that he can consistently dice up zone coverage.  

Great! That way Poles gets to miss on BOTH Williams and Harrison.

I don't know what the tweet says since it's not showing up for me.  I wish they would fix the twitter thing here.  It's very balky.

Caleb is almost certainly going #1 and that's where Poles is gonna take him.  That's the path this thing is heading down toward April.

If you want to be mad at someone for "missing on Harrison", then be mad at Justin Fields.  Year 3 was supposed to be his coming-out-party and breakout year.  He was given a true #1 WR.  If he had improved (remember when Poles said in August he wanted to see "improvement"?) like he was expected to, we wouldn't be having a QB debate, would we?

Do you see anyone calling for him to get a long-term contract extension this offseason?  Nope.  
Mahomes, Allen, and Burrow all got extended after year 3.  Trevor Lawrence probably will get one this year.

If Fields had balled out in year 3 this wouldn't be a discussion right now and MHJ would be our presumptive first draft choice.

2022 Fields stats:
15 games, 60.4% compl rate, 2242 pass yds, 1143 rush yds, 17 pass TD, 8 rush TD, 11 INTs, 9 fumbles, 85.2 rating

2023:
13 games, 61.4% compl rate, 2562 pass yds, 657 rush yds, 16 pass TD, 4 rush TD, 9 INTs, 3 fumbles, 86.3 rating


The only substantial improvement he made was fewer sacks and fumbles.  So if the Bears "miss out on" Harrison, Fields is the reason why.