Flags Not Flying for Hits on Justin Fields
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While Justin Fields thinks he has gotten better as a runner, it seems he still needs to learn to get down quicker with a slide when he scrambles.
At least the officials seem to think that's the case.
On Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, an old issue resurfaced when he ran early in the game, slid and took a shot in the back but didn't get the benefit of a penalty flag thrown by referee Brad Rogers' crew.
In the first quarter, Fields took off for a 7-yard run and Ndamukong Suh, who never has been hesitant about taking a shot legitimate or otherwise, did what he does. He came up from behind and hit Fields in the back.
There was no flag for a play that usually means 15 added yards for most veteran quarterbacks.
"I mean, there's just been too many times where I've slid and hit too late and I don't get the flag," Fields said.
Fields complained about this last year, especially after the loss at Pittsburgh when former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger received the benefit of flags for being touched after a pass. Meanwhile, Fields was knocked flat to the ground long after throwing and right in front of former NFL official Tony Corrente without benefit of a flag.
This year Fields seemed to benefit more early in the year from flags. For instance, the 49ers got two roughing penalties in the opener for hits on him. However, someone seems to have stopped watching of late.
There hasn't been one walked off since Oct. 30, according to NFLGSIS.com. Atlanta's Grady Jarrett got away with one right in plain view of the official on Nov. 20.
"So, I mean, I'm going to be on the refs looking for a call but when I think it's a flag I'm going to ask the ref and on Sunday he said he didn't think it was a foul," Fields said. "Yeah, I'm going to be begging for those calls and just hope I get one—one in the near future."
Fields apparently is thinking about hits like these heading into the Buffalo game.
"Every time I think of Buffalo I think of preseason last year when I got my helmet knocked off," Fields said.
At least if Fields can't get the respect of officials, he has it from players on the teams who are roughing him up.
Eagles cornerback Darius Slay came away completely impressed with Fields after Sunday's game.
Slay referred to Slay as "magnificent" and said, "Chicago got a lot of upside coming from him. They're gonna have a great future with him. He's a highlight film, for real man. I salute my cap off to him and it's hard for a quarterback to be that tough."
Fields appreciated the compliment.
"Yeah, it means a lot, especially coming from a player like him," Fields said. "He’s a great defensive player. He’s been a great player in this league for a long time.
"Just hearing that from him, it’s an honor. Of course, he’s played a lot of teams. He’s played against a lot of QBs. So it’s definitely great to hear that."
Fields' speed is what Slay found difficult to defend.
"He's a 4.4 guy," said Slay, a former Detroit Lions cornerback. "That's what makes it tough. He is not like a 4.7 or nothing. When he gets up the field he can make you miss and he can run past you."
Fields ran for 39 yards on a scramble that nearly went to the end zone and finished Sunday with 95 yards for an even 1,000 on the year. It broke Bobby Douglass' Bears record of 968 yards that had stood for 50 years.
Douglass got his in a 14-game season, but Fields got his in his 13th game of a 17-game season, the Bears' 14th game this season.
Perhaps recognizing how Fields kept getting hit, and possibly even Suh's hit, Slay pointed out another quality in the Bears QB he appreciated.
"Kid's tough," Slay said. "He gets hit a lot and keeps going. He had a cramp, went in and came back in for a two-minute drive.
"He's a tough kid."
Just ask the officials.
They seem to think he can take it.
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