Cardinals Know Exactly What Justin Fields Can Do
ARIZONA -- Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon knows exactly what upcoming opponent and Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields can do.
Flashback to last season when Gannon was leading the Philadelphia Eagles defense. Though his squad ultimately emerged victorious in a 25-20 battle, Fields managed to have himself an overall solid outing:
Passing: 14/21 for 152 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Rushing: 15 carries for 95 yards
So when reporters asked Gannon on his thoughts moving into Arizona's Week 16 matchup in Chicago against a familiar face, he was able to draw on previous experience.
“Here’s what I know about him. He can make every throw on the field and when it’s cold and rainy in Chicago—like it’s going to be— the wind doesn’t matter because he’s got a huge arm. He’s extremely mobile, he’s hard to tackle, and his extension of plays is very productive, so when you have to design a plan for that type of skill set at quarterback, it makes it very challenging," Gannon said.
Arizona's defense hasn't exactly been a strong point in 2023:
Yards Per Game: 358.9 (25th)
Points Per Game: 26.9 (31st)
Defensive DVOA: 32nd
The Cardinals are also allowing a whopping 69.6% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks, though it's Fields' ability as a runner that concerns Gannon.
"We’ve got to do a good job in the run and pass game; the run game where he’s involved and the run game where he is not. Then in the pass game you’ve got to mix your rush and coverage the right way to affect him because he can beat you when the ball comes out on time, and he can beat you when the ball doesn’t come out on time," he said.
"There are some guys that can do that, but there’s not a ton of them. He’s one of those guys, and he’s hard to tackle. I’ve been a part of games where he’s broken six tackles on one play, literally. He’s a productive player that’s a weapon and he is hard to defend.”
The play in question:
Fields is coming off a less than impressive outing against the Cleveland Browns last week, throwing two interceptions for the first time since Week 2 with his lowest rushing output (30 yards) since Week 4.
We'll see if Gannon and his staff can use prior experience mixed with recent film to slow Fields down, though it's apparent the Cardinals are well aware of what QB1 in Chicago is capable of.
