Grading Justin Fields and the Bears

Quite inadvertantly, newcomer Chase Claypool put his finger on a real Bears offensive problem after Sunday's 35-32 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

The problem is Justin Fields.

"It's so fun watching him move around, make plays, give us opportunities, give the entire offense opportunities to keep driving the ball," Claypool said. "It just felt right when he was the one controlling the game."

Fields really isn't controlling the game when he does what he did. Oh, it's spectacular to see when it occurs. Who doesn't like a 61-yard quarterback scramble as defensive players seem cemented to their location, or the 12-yard wheel-and-deal out of trouble for a first down?

The trouble is, Fields is not controlling anything then. The game is dictating to him that he has to run to get away from the rush and he reacts.

When Fields does this, he's not involving teammates in the offense and eventually it's easier to defend a team when the only way you're going to move it is with the quarterback running.

Fields broke Michael Vick's record for single-game quarterback rushing Sunday, and Vick-style football is fun but it's not necessarily winning football. It's video game football. Vick was always better on Madden than in real life.

Vick owns a career 80.4 passer rating, which is worse than players like Jake Delhomme and Kyle Orton. He also was one of the game's greatest fumblers.

RG III was great until the inevitable happened. Cam Newton had it happen. Vick had it happen, among other things. They get injured. It always happens. An NFL quarterback who runs 15 times in a game is a ticking time bomb.

Almost as bad, they don't become operators of an offense. They just become guys hanging onto the ball. It needs to come out of their hands or they defeat the purpose of an offense.

Fields the runner becomes Michael Jordan, 1986 playoffs version. He's scoring 63 points in a double-overtime loss to Boston to get eliminated from the playoffs.

Solo acts eventually lose in a team game. Vick had one season when Atlanta finished better than two games over .500.

There is always the tired argument that Fields doesn't have help. They say that about every losing team with a QB who scrambles. Scrambling doesn't involve other players.

Darnell Mooney didn't have a touchdown catch until the mid-point of the season. Your No. 1 receiver can't have this happen. He didn't suddenly lose his ability to run routes and catch passes.

Fields knows all of this, to his credit. He wants to be the great passer who also runs effectively—or in his case spectacularly.

Who won the game Sunday? It was the quarterback who operated in the pocket or just outside of it and threw the ball, Tua Tagovailoa.

Fields can do this.

When he starts doing this, then it will be something to really be excited about because he can choose either method to beat a defense and there won't be much anyone can do to stop him.

Until then, Bears followers who are in their mid-40s or younger will simply have to put up with those who aren't because the older ones all remember two quarterbacks whose records Fields broke on Sunday.

Bears QBs Bobby Douglass and Vince Evans could run all over the field with ease and lose games with the same ease.

Douglass once told me he could have been Steve Young if they only had put him in the modern West Coast offense. Those who saw him play said he didn't give teammates the chance to execute an offense, whatever style.

Fields needs to eventually become Jalen Hurts in Year 3. He runs and burns a defense. He throws and helps teammates burn a defense.

When Claypool says it's "fun watching" Fields, it needs to eventually becomes "it's fun playing with him," because too many quarterbacks whose strength is running end up leaving the NFL without a real sense of accomplishment.

The grades from Sunday's effort:

Running Game: B-

As spectacular as Fields was, the running backs were unable to get going. Run blocking wasn't there against a stout run defense. David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert had 21 carries for 59 yards. Count Fields' running here because scrambling is not rushing or passing. It's the outgrowth of passing failure—they couldn't get the pass off. They had to rely on Fields for a running game because there wasn't one otherwise.

Passing Game: C

Fields' 123 yards total is underwhelming but he was efficient at making completions count for points. His 5.3 yards per attempt was terrible, but in a few instances his receivers were prevented from making big deeper catches to pad this. Claypool was interfered with on a perfectly good jump ball at game's end. Red zone passing was maybe the best it's been all year, as Cole Kmet and Mooney got open there for three TDs.

Run Defense: B-

The Dolphins helped the Bears out by rushing only 23 times but when they did they averaged only 3.3 yards a carry. Bears defensive players did a much better job of staying in their gaps than against Dallas. Jaquan Brisker, Eddie Jackson and cornerbacks policed the edges perfectly when Miami tried running wide.

Pass Defense: F

Predictably, they played back in deep zone and this is supposed to be their strength. Miami's Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill didn't care. They have speed to beat zone or man coverage and Tua Tagovailoa took advantage of it. Even Jaylon Johnson struggled in coverage. The worst thing about their defense wasn't the coverage in the secondary, though. It was the pass rush. Until late in the game, they couldn't get in Tagovailoa's face sufficiently to disrupt pass-and-catch plays against the cover-2.

Special Teams: D-

There should never be a blocked punt in any game. Khalil Herbert got beat while blocking on the edge with all the Dolphins rushers pulled inside looking like they were going for an inside block. Trenton Gill didn't manage the punt block well and had a poor 37-yarder at game's end when they needed to play field position ball better.

Coaching: C

Again they failed at achieving pass rush pressure and didn't seem to realize Tagovailoa is not a scrambler. He could have been hurried into more completions or even interceptions with more blitzing, especially early in the game. The decision to use Herbert as a blocker on punts really is a mistake. He might be their best running back and they're using him on punt coverage. That's playing with fire. There are plenty of wide receivers or tight ends they could put in that position he had blocking on the edge without asking him to do something he's not good at doing. It resulted in a blocked punt Sunday. It's a personnel usage mistake by the coordinator, like they had when they were letting Velus Jones Jr. on returns. Once again, adjustments made during the game helped the Bears steady the ship, so to speak, and they made a run at the lead. Matt Eberflus also deserved some credit at game's end for not being a frustrated wreck after so many of these close losses. Eventually it will turn and will come sooner if he's positive and calmer about the entire process.

Overall: C-

It was a fascinating contrast in teams with two drastically different offensive approaches. The Bears wound up where most teams will if they can only run and can't pass for more than 123 yards.

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