DJ Moore Likes Playing with Mobile Passer

Justin Fields has had teammates' backs and they have his.

Now they're getting a little more detailed why they like their athletic passer, who sometimes seems as likely to run for 100 yards as he is to pass for 200.

Wide receiver DJ Moore on Thursday once again said he thinks Fields is the quarterback for them for next year, but became more specific about his thoughts.

"His decision making, from just running a lot to running and scrambling and throwing," Moore said when asked where he saw a better Fields. "So that. He's processing things quicker from the time that I got here until like now and so forth. Hopefully we continue to grow with it."

Moore has gained an appreciation for playing with a mobile passer as compared to a pocket passer. He said it actually helps the receiver. Other receivers might challenge this.

"The easier way is to be able to scramble and run around like it's backyard football," Moore said. "The harder part is when you've got to be on time with the pocket quarterback."

This sounded almost like Moore was leaning way over to accomodate his teammate, but he sought to explain further.

"Well to the more traditional you've just got to get open as fast as you can because they're either going to throw the ball away or dirt it," Moore said. "With a running quarterback, they can extend the play and be (more) dynamic with their feet than with their arm.

"So it's going to attract a lot of attention when they start moving out of the pocket. And we're going to free up downfield."

At least there was logic to the explanation so it didn't come off as merely a plea to keep a friend on the team, even if history has far and away favored pocket passers.

Russell Wilson, Steve Young and Patrick Mahomes are all extremely mobile quarterbacks but no one would accuse them of being scramblers first. Mahomes runs to throw. Young did after he came the 49ers. Wilson ran a lot but was very effective as a passer.

Lamar Jackson might finally end the trend this year.

Bears defensive end Montez Sweat had to play against Fields this season, and now on his team.

"I've always kind of been a fan on the outside looking in," Sweat said.

He considered Fields, "... a guy that I don't want to go against," while with Washington.

"I really like the way he handles his business," Sweat said. "He comes in here, he's a first person out on the field, sometimes the last one to leave out of the build. I mean, he's a hard worker, puts his head down, doesn't really listen to the outside noise. And yeah, he's pretty (expletive) talented too. Yeah, man, I love playing with him."

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