Big QB Decisions Require Time and Process

Justin Fields this week after saying he had improved. He was asked how and where.

"It's just a lot of stuff," Fields said. "Like I say where can I improve? I say everything. I feel like I get this question a lot. You (media) guys ask me where can I improve and I say everything.

"Like I said earlier, there's always room for improvement. So I'm just trying to put my best foot forward, take care of the ball, that's the No. 1 thing on offense and put points on the board."

So, he's improved but needs to improve more.

It's Year 3. Improvement has come in small amounts statistically and if there has been some it must be in areas undetectable to non-football players or coaches. Fields still makes the splashy plays but the consistency hasn't been seen.

If there is improvement, it isn't so great that Fields' future is secure. In fact, he seems to have plateaued.

His passer rating is barely better than last year. His yards per attempt, a very critical statistic, is a career-low 6.7 yards per attempt. It's difficult to win consistently in the NFL with a figure below 7.0 and usually something closer to 8.0 is necessary to be sucessful.

Fields talked in the past about feeling he was a good deep passer and Matt Eberflus has called this a strength of his. Yet, 6.7 yards an attempt isn't getting it done.

Fields has generated three wins this year after three last year. It's no longer a sufficient explanation to say he or the offense need more time together. When this season started, the only new players they had starting on offense were DJ Moore and Nate Davis. The offensive line was shuffled around but three line starters had been playing before this year at different spots.

Lack of Continuity Is No Alibi

They were using the same offensive system this year as the previous year.

It wasn't like on defense where they fitted in virtually a new defensive front ahead of their more experienced secondary.

"It's a chemistry thing," offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said. "Guys are starting to get really comfortable with each other. And so you're starting to see those things pop up that are really cool."

They should have been comfortable long ago and popping things now is a little late for everyone, especially Fields.

On the other hand, anyone who wants to rush ahead past these next three games without letting it play out carries the same lack of credibility as those who whine Fields hasn't had enough time, hasn't had a good offensive coordinator, hasn't had a good offensive line in front of him and hasn't had good receivers. After all, he has DJ Moore.

Getsy has had questionable moments, true enough, and the game plan with one screen pass after another against Minnesota is one of those. But it hasn't been all on the offensive coordinator. He's not Dowell Loggins, Terry Shea or John Shoop.

They were 23rd in scoring, 28th in yardage last year and this year they're 22nd in scoring and 22nd in yardage. So the improvement has been there, although only marginally, just like with Fields.

Fields needs to be given these last three games so all possible information on him can be gathered. He needs every snap to establish how far away he really is if it's determined he isn't where they want.

No one is sure yet who is even going to be calling what shots next year. Will it be Getsy again on offense. Will it be Matt Eberflus in charge? After what they've done to turn the defense around, it would seem unlikely Eberflus would be told to take a hike, but lose a few more like last week in these last three and no one could be certain what will happen.

Then comes analysis of Fields and then they'll closely study all alternatives before deciding what to do with the first draft pick.

This, in itself, will be a true option call. Do they see Caleb Williams as a better option who will be a long-time NFL starter? Does he get rid of the ball fast enough and protect the ball well enough to be a first pick. There is no doubt about his release of the ball or ability to deliver every throw.

Are they willing to forego being better on offense for another year? Just because a quarterback is chosen first doesn't mean he'll step right in as an effective starter. Patrick Mahomes was with a winning team and had only one rookie start. Trevor Lawrence had a 71.9 rookie passer rating.

Rarely does a rookie quarterback come in and excel immediately, but it does occasionally happen. C.J. Stroud this year, Deshaun Watson and Joe Burrow in the past, all are QBs who have delivered from Day 1 but even they had to endure hardships at times as rookies. Watson only played six games. Burrow blew out his knee. Stroud has been a surprise but also is going through injury issues.

The Option Play

Then there are other options, like keep Fields and build a ridiculously good offense around him with the talent from draft picks they'll get by trading away the first pick, should they actually get it. An alternative is trade Fields and get a QB different than Williams, perhaps one farther down in Round 1, while retaining more draft equity than if they simply elected Williams.

If they think the defense is ready to win now, would they even want to risk playing a rookie? It has to be pointed out the 49ers had no problem going to unproven seventh-round pick Brock Purdy, another rookie phenom. Or is Chicago to be damned to the fate of another Mike Glennon or Andy Dalton holding down the starting spot first?

“Justin Fields holds onto the ball too long and fumbles. We should draft Caleb Williams!” pic.twitter.com/Kqsg7R7Xme
— illwill (@79illwill) December 14, 2023

And then the questions again about coaching. Is this group of offensive coaches capable of quickly bringing along a first-round draft pick at quarterback if they choose first and it's Williams, or if it's Drake Maye?

Maybe they want to give Fields one more year without the fifth-year extension to prove himself. Mitchell Trubisky got this

There are plenty of instances of teams giving up on QBs before they go on and excel elsewhere. Steve Young, Drew Brees and Alex Smith are examples here. Geno Smith sure looks a lot better now as a starter than earlier in his career. Who would have expected him to get $105 million over three years when he bombed out with the Jets, then got discarded by the Giants and Chargers?

There are far too many variables, options and questions yet to be pondered at this point than to simply dismiss Fields as done and move on.

Perhaps he really has improved like he says, and people don't see it yet.

Sunday's game with Arizona is just No. 3 in a five-game finish for Fields to prove himself. It's a different type of challenge, than Cleveland was. This week he has to prove he can execute when it's expected he should. He didn't get to play a few times earlier this year when they faced opponents of similar quality, like the Raiders and Panthers.

Fields gets the benefit of all three of these three games. It's not going to hurt anyone to wait and watch.

The process must play out and then will come the decisions.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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