Where Andy Dalton Still Has It Over Justin Fields
So much has been said about what Justin Fields can do.
It's what he can't do that has quarterback Andy Dalton in the secure position as starter for the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
With one preseason start coming for Fields ahead on Saturday, Bears coach Matt Nagy on Wednesday went into greater detail describing what it is Fields must still prove he can do before he's a capable starter.
"So for him I would say the biggest thing is making sure that mentally he understands conceptually where we're at, which he's done a really good job with that," Nagy said.
If he's done a real good job, apparently it's not good enough or perhaps Fields would be starting.
"When I say that in the passing game and of course in the run game, too, there's just so many parts that go into the whole of this offense and we've talked over and over and over about the huddle stuff," Nagy said. "He's conquered that. The huddle stuff is done. That's now easy to him.
"Now, the next part is gonna be the making sure he recognizes you know the post snap stuff that you see because right now in the preseason there's a lot of defenses that we're seeing that are high school Harry defenses. You're not seeing a lot. These coordinators know that they're going to throw different things at you and that would be the next one, seeing that on tape, seeing where he's at. That's film study, that's being with these other quarterbacks and learning. But you can see that he has the talent out there to make a lot of plays on his own."
Nagy wants Fields ideally to go through weeks of watching how Dalton handles the weekly practices and meetings before exposing him to preparation and then playing.
"It would take time," Nagy said. "I would say for him, because he hasn't had those experiences and hasn't seen what Andy has seen with NFL defenses for 10 years, that part there is a major advantage that Andy has, and the game being slower.
"We always talk about to these young quarterbacks, when they get in the game–it doesn't matter whatever level–it's your first time in that game. Things happen faster. Whether it’s the progression, whether it's the defense, everything that happens. Every year you're in it, it slows down and that's why you see the development and growth of some of these guys and so for him understanding that when that time does come for him, it is going to be fast."
Nagy thinks Fields can eventually get the job done.
"But I do believe because of his resiliency of who he is and mentally and all that stuff that you know he’ll be able to work through things but that's part of the process too and the plan of how we want to make sure we go about it with that," Nagy said.
Fields is buying the plan of Daltons starting while he learns.
"I mean, I think if the players of a team don't by into what a coach has to say then that team's not going to be successful," Fields said. "So, I pretty much have no choice.
"That's what is going to come with the most success, is when you trust in coach Nagy and his plan and just getting better every day. That's ultimately why I'm trusting him because he’s, of course, we all want the same thing, all want to win games, there's no reason for me not to trust him."
The Bears have the time for trust to develop and prove warranted because the season hasn't started.
Once they're beyond the preseason and games mean more, time can become a far more precious commodity if losses are mounting.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
