Category: 2021 season

Justin Fields had perfect response about whether he was put in position to succeed in 2021

Bears QB Justin Fields played it cool when asked if he was put in position to succeed in 2021. It’s alright Justin, we all know the truth.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields’ rookie season was anything but ideal. He had  a fair share of ups and downs — some on him, others on those in charge of his development.

While Fields struggled with things like a quick release and protecting the football, he was done a greater disservice at the hands of the former regime — Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace. It’s the reason why both Nagy and Pace are no longer employed.

Fields was asked directly about whether he believes he was put in the best position to succeed as a rookie. And his response is exactly what you’d expect from the young leader.

“I don’t know,” Fields told reporters Tuesday. “But at the end of the day that doesn’t matter. You have to handle what you’ve got and try to make the best out of it.”

While Fields tried to downplay the brutal reality, everyone could see Fields wasn’t exactly in the best situation as a rookie. It was evident before the start of the season when Nagy refused to give Fields an opportunity to compete for the starting job, thus taking away valuable reps with starters.

And it was even more clear in his first start in Week 3, when Nagy developed a horrid, detrimental game plan that got Fields sacked nine times. Despite Fields flashing his amazing potential, it was clear that Nagy wasn’t the guy to put him in a position to succeed, which resulted in his firing. And while Pace was the one who traded up for Fields, his poor track record resulted in his firing, as well.

Now, Fields is heading into his first offseason where he knows he’s the starting quarterback. He’s learning a new offense under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, as well as getting to know some new teammates, including wide receivers Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown.

Despite an underwhelming offseason, there’s still a belief that Fields will be put in a better position to succeed in Year 2.

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Bears’ Justin Fields was ‘really pissed’ about game plan for first start vs. Browns

Justin Fields’ first NFL start was an utter disaster. So it’s no surprise that Fields was upset about that game plan.

There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the future of Bears quarterback Justin Fields. But it was far from a smooth rookie season, which started on an ominous note in his first start against the Browns in Week 3.

Fields, who never got the opportunity to compete for the starting job, was thrust into a starting role after Andy Dalton was sidelined with a knee injury. The expectation was that Matt Nagy and his co

As Bears fans remember well, Fields was sacked nine times and Chicago was limited to just 47 yards of offense in a brutal 26-6 loss to the Browns. Nagy came under fire, and rightfully so, for a horrible game plan that failed to put Fields in a position to succeed. It marked the beginning of the end of Nagy’s tenure with the Bears.

Fields’ quarterbacks coach Ron Veal appeared on 670 the Score, where he shed some light on Fields’ first start. And, to know one’s surprise, Fields wasn’t happy with the game plan.

“I know he was a little pissed about it,” he said. “But I didn’t get an explanation, and I really didn’t ask because I know he was in a situation where he was really pissed off about it.”

Fields has a clean slate heading into Year 2, where he’ll be learning a new offense under Luke Getsy. The encouraging news is that Getsy plans to build the offense around Fields, which is sensible and something Nagy failed to do last season.

But there are concerns about how the roster is forming around him, where there are still holes at wide receiver and offensive line. Still, a better coaching staff and scheme should work wonders.

This offseason, Fields has been hard at work training with the likes of wide receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet. He’s also worked with Veal on anticipation and a quicker release.

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Bears’ Trevis Gipson was among PFF’s top edge rushers in 2021

Trevis Gipson stepped up for the Bears last season, where he graded among PFF’s top edge rushers.

With the departure of Khalil Mack this offseason, the Chicago Bears have a big hole to fill at edge rusher opposite Robert Quinn. But it looks like Trevis Gipson is ready to step up into that permanent starting role.

Gipson didn’t have a prominent starting role — which makes sense given it was Mack and Quinn anchoring the edge — but he stepped up in Mack’s absence when he suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 7.

In 2021, Gipson totaled 39 tackles, including seven tackles-for-loss, seven sacks, seven QB hits, two pass breakups, five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 16 games, including nine starts. For a second-year player thrust into a starting role, he stepped up and produced.

Gipson’s 87.0 pass rush grade ranked 10th among all edge rushers in 2021, according to Pro Football Focus. Which is pretty impressive for the former fifth-round pick entering his third season.

While Gipson has established himself as a playmaker off the edge, he still needs to get better in run defense and pass coverage. He notched a 50.8 grade against the run and 47.0 in pass coverage, per PFF.

Gipson will have to earn the starting job over newcomer Al-Quadin Muhammad, who’s followed new head coach Matt Eberflus from the Indianapolis Colts.

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McCarthy cites fixing Cowboys penalties as main focus for 2022, but bad luck contributed in ’21

The Cowboys coach doesn’t want to lead the NFL again in penalties, but the record shows they were cursed by flag-happy refs often in 2021. | From @ToddBrock24f7

There’s plenty to fix in Dallas, to be sure. As with any team that’s sent home from the postseason earlier than anticipated, the list of things that the Cowboys hope to improve for 2022 is considerable. But when head coach Mike McCarthy starts ordering that list in terms of priority, there’s room for just one item to be the top concern.

Penalties were the first area of focus mentioned by McCarthy as he spoke to the media Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. The Cowboys led the league last year (playoffs included) in flags thrown on them (168) and penalties actually assessed against them (141).

Those numbers speak to a lot of sloppy technique, mental errors, and discipline issues. McCarthy may not be the one called out by number when the referee keys his mic on Sundays, but make no mistake: penalties are a coaching problem.

But in the Cowboys’ case, it turns out bad luck played a significant role, too.

For starters, McCarthy acknowledges that while giving up 1,192 penalty yards over 18 games- an average of 66.22 yards per outing- must be corrected, he doesn’t feel the need for a wholesale change in philosophy, just the time spent on playing clean football.

“I believe in the format that we use, how we emphasize it, how we teach it,” the coach said. “Penalty prevention, the individual focus and the techniques part of it… that will be heightened.”

The challenge is that, thanks to CBA rules that determine a fixed amount of instructional time, hours spent dedicated to penalty prevention takes away from time spent practicing some other aspect of the game.

“I’m not making [an] excuse; your time with your team is less than it’s ever been in, I know, my time as a head coach. So where are you going to spend that time?” McCarthy asked rhetorically. “We will talk and emphasize penalties more than we have in the past.”

Of course, there is also a risk in overcoaching penalties, in fine-tuning players’ techniques so much that power, strength, and aggression start to suffer for the sake of not wanting to draw a flag.

McCarthy certainly doesn’t want that, either.

“Sometimes there’s a risk of being higher penalties when you want to be more combative, get your play style consistent for your whole team. I think that’s a process where [when] we’ve come out of year one and into year two was an emphasis for us because of our play style wasn’t consistently at the fever pitch that we wanted it throughout our team. And with that comes more combative penalties. History will tell you that; that’s been my experience as a head coach. Those are some things that are accepted part of doing business,” McCarthy explained, “but the pre-snap and the discipline penalties we have to be much better at. We did not, by no means, did we hit the target there. I’ve got to coach it better, we’ve got to emphasize it better. It will definitely be a heightened point.”

But as Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News pointed out this week, some of the Cowboys’ penalty woes in 2021 can be attributed to luck of the draw. Bad luck, that is.

Officiating crews led by Shawn Hochuli, Scott Novak, and Alex Kemp all finished within the top three in the NFL last season for flags thrown per game.

Hochuli called two Cowboys games in 2021: the season-opening loss where he flagged Dallas eight times (to Tampa Bay’s 11) and the Thanksgiving laundryfest where he dinged Dallas and Las Vegas 14 times apiece, another Cowboys loss.

Novak worked two Cowboys games as well: Week 8’s win (11 Cowboys penalties to Minnesota’s seven) and Week 17’s loss (10 Cowboys flags to Arizona’s seven).

Kemp handled Week 14’s win, where Dallas and Washington were both hit with seven infractions. But he also helmed the mixed officiating crew for the Cowboys’ wild-card loss, flagging Dallas 14 times to San Francisco’s nine.

That’s one-third of the team’s 18 games with a notoriously flag-happy ref running the show, six games producing nearly one-half of the Cowboys’ assessed penalty calls for the entire year.

Compare that to Bill Vinovich. His crew called the fewest penalties in the league for the fourth time in five years. In his two 2021 run-ins with Dallas, he flagged the Cowboys just five times in Week 9 and a season-low three times in Week 16.

Cowboys players and coaches were quick to lay at least some of the blame for their losses to the Raiders, Cardinals, and 49ers on officials. It’s not that any refs have a legitimate bias against Dallas per se, but the team- unluckily, perhaps- did see more than their fair share of officials who have shown a blanket penchant for penalties.

Were Cowboys players guilty of that many more transgressions than everyone else? In part, yes. Left guard Connor Williams led the entire NFL in holding calls, with 11. That’s an issue that may resolve itself, with the otherwise highly-rated Williams about to hit free agency.

But McCarthy and his staff can (and need to) do more to make sure all the Cowboys players give those officiating crews- whoever they happen to draw on any given Sunday- less reason to throw flags in the first place.

To hear McCarthy tell it, that’s Job One this offseason.

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Cowboys LB Micah Parsons played one offensive snap in 2021, wants to do it more often

The versatile LB has lobbied the Cowboys coaches to play the other side of the ball, something he actually did for one snap this year. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The official record shows that rookie linebacker Micah Parsons played a single offensive snap for the Cowboys in 2021. But he’d like to make it a more regular thing.

The Defensive Rookie of the Year sat in on The Rich Eisen Show last week, and in an entertaining twist, swapped chairs with the host, taking over the broadcast for a couple segments. During a round of ‘What’s More Likely?’, the topic of Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill came up. By the time the chat was over, the do-everything Parsons had admitted that he’s lobbied the Dallas coaching staff to run routes and catch passes on gameday.

Parsons beat Hill, billed to be fastest player in the NFL, in a foot race during Pro Bowl Week in Las Vegas earlier this month. And while everyone who saw it- including Parsons- knows that Hill was essentially jogging, Parsons still believes that he could could chase down the man they call ‘The Cheetah’ if Hill had a ball in his hands on the way to the end zone.

“This is football,” Parsons reminded a skeptical Eisen. “We’re talking about running down. So there’s angles, there’s pursuit.”

After Eisen capitulated- perhaps for the sake of the interview- and said he’d go with Parsons, the confident 22-year-old agreed.

“I’m taking me, too. No question.”

But Parsons also said he’d like to turn the tables on Hill, making the receiver play defense and cover him while he ran pass routes.

In addition to his official linebacker title, Parsons spent a lot of time lined up as an edge rusher in his rookie season. The Cowboys coaching staff also turned him loose in pass coverage, not hesitating to let him turn into a defensive back on occasion. So moonlighting is already a skill Parsons possesses.

“Do you want to play offense?’ Eisen probed. “Would you do that?”

“Yeah,” Parsons shot back with zero hesitation.

“Have you suggested this to Mike McCarthy?”

“Yeah.”

“And what did they say?”

Here, Parsons gave a painfully long pause.

“They obviously… don’t see the vision I see.”

It was a comical moment that Parsons deadpanned for a laugh, but it’s not necessarily a wildly off-base idea. Parsons played running back in high school, in addition to defensive end. And the Cowboys certainly recognize him as a rare multi-talent who can do practically anything on the football field, even at the pro level.

They’d already let him play offense… in his very first NFL game.

It was Week 1 in Tampa. Bucs kicker Ryan Succop had just kicked a 36-yard field goal to give his team a 31-29 lead. After a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, Dallas had the ball on their own 25 with two seconds to play, time enough for one desperation play.

For what would likely be a last-ditch game of keep-away full of laterals and backward passes, the Cowboys went with an unusual personnel grouping, putting only their fastest and most versatile players on offense.

Tony Pollard would take the direct snap. Cedrick Wilson, Corey Clement, and Darian Thompson were in the backfield. C.J. Goodwin, Donovan Wilson, Dorance Armstrong, Keanu Neal, Jabril Cox, and Leighton Vander Esch were all in on the schoolyard play, too.

And Micah Parsons is the one who snapped the ball.

The play was snuffed out rather quickly, but not before Parsons threw enough of a block on defensive tackle Vita Vea to keep the Buccaneers Pro Bowler from getting anywhere near a tackle.

Knowing now what soon became evident to everyone regarding Parsons’s elite athleticism and game-changing tendencies on the field, one can only wonder what might have happened had Parsons ended up being a ball carrier instead of just the center.

Parsons himself would sure like to find out one of these days.

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Bears’ Khalil Herbert was PFF’s highest-graded 6th-round rookie in 2021

Khalil Herbert was one of the Bears’ pleasant surprises in 2021, and PFF graded him as the best sixth-round rookie last season.

There was a lot of hype surrounding the Bears’ 2021 rookie draft class, which featured first-round quarterback Justin Fields. But there were also some late-round selections that proved to be pleasant surprises for Chicago.

Running back Khalil Herbert, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft, was one of those late-round hits for the Bears last season. Herbert wasn’t the starter — which wasn’t a surprise with David Montgomery leading the way. But he proved to be reliable for Chicago as a reserve running back and a valuable kick returner.

When Montgomery injured his knee in Week 4, Herbert stepped in as the workhorse back for the next four games, where he showed his potential to be a lead running back. Herbert rushed for at least 70 yards in each of those four games, including a 100-yard outing against the Buccaneers.

Herbert was also Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded rookie sixth-round pick from the 2021 season, earning a 78.8 grade. He beat out the likes of 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell and Chiefs offensive lineman Trey Smith.

Herbert saw limited action as a rookie, but he flashed enough to earn more opportunities in Year 2. New offensive coordinator Luke Getsy comes from the Packers, who had a 1-2 punch with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. Perhaps we could see some of the same with Montgomery and Herbert.

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NFL.com gave Bears’ 2021 rookie draft class a B- grade

As his parting gift, former Bears GM Ryan Pace left the team with a 2021 draft class with plenty of potential.

As his parting gift, former Bears general manager Ryan Pace left the team with a 2021 rookie draft class with plenty of potential. At the time, Pace’s seven-player draft class was hailed as the best of the draft. But, as we know, you can never grade a draft class before the players even hit the field.

So how did Chicago’s rookie draft class fare when all was said and done in 2021?

NFL.com is grading each of the 32 NFL team’s 2021 rookie draft classes following one season. The Bears earned a B-, which was to be expected following Justin Fields’ rocky debut and some potential late-round gems.

When looking at Chicago’s rookie draft class, you have to start with Fields, who the Bears traded up to acquire at 11th overall. It was a bold move for Pace to acquire a franchise quarterback of the future, which could’ve saved his job. But the handling of Fields ultimately resulted in Pace and Matt Nagy’s firings at the end of the season.

Fields flashed plenty of potential, but he had his share of mistakes — some of which were on him and others that were on the coaching staff.

…the 22-year-old did flash rare traits with his arm and legs, despite the fact Nagy didn’t always put him in the best position to show them off. He still holds onto the ball too long — which helps explain his 12 fumbles in 12 total games — but that 4.4 pro day speed translates quite nicely to the pro game. And his downfield accuracy’s undeniable, whether he’s standing tall in the pocket, rolling to the right or escaping a collapsing pocket to his left. The skill set’s highly enticing — now it’s up to the new coaching staff to cultivate consistency.

Aside from Fields, there were some late-round gems with this group, which was Pace’s specialty. Fifth-round offensive tackle Larry Borom stepped in at right tackle and was solid, while sixth-round running back Khalil Herbert and cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. looked like steals that could have significant impacts in 2022.

Beyond the marquee-topping first-round pick, Chicago’s 2021 draft haul was a mixed bag in Year 1. While Jenkins’ rookie season was marred by injuries and inadequacy, the Bears’ second OT selection (Borom) proved to be a late-round find. Speaking of which, Herbert and Graham look like sixth-round steals, albeit in a much more limited sample size for the latter.

For all of the good, there were plenty of questions from this group. Second-round offensive tackle Teven Jenkins, who the Bears traded up to land, missed most of the season after back surgery and wide receiver Dazz Newsome spent most of the year on the practice squad.

But one year won’t define this draft class. Let’s check back in a few years down the line.

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Pro Football Focus puts 7 Cowboys on Top 101, including 4 of 5 offensive linemen

The Cowboys are tied with a league-high number of players on the annual list, but the inclusion of one lineman may surprise some fans. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Pro Football Focus published its Top 101 list last week, spotlighting the best individual performances across all positions in the NFL.

The Cowboys landed seven players on the list in total. Six play on offense, and four of them are linemen. That’s perhaps surprising, given the run game struggles that Dallas experienced for most of the year. Only one Cowboys defender made the countdown; his identity won’t be a surprise at all, but his placement might be.

Twenty-five of the NFL’s 32 teams are represented on the list. The Cowboys, Rams, and Packers have the most players featured, seven each.

Bears 2021 rookie season review: DT Khyiris Tonga

While Khyiris Tonga was the Bears’ final draft selection in 2021, he was among the rookies that saw the most playing time as a starter.

The Chicago Bears drafted seven players in the 2021 NFL draft, where a number of them made significant contributions on offense, defense or special teams during their rookie season.

While Khyiris Tonga was Chicago’s final draft selection in the seventh round, he proved to be among the rookies that saw the most playing time as a starter. What Tonga put on tape was encouraging heading into 2022.

Here’s a brief overview of Tonga’s rookie season and how he might contribute moving forward.

See where Bears’ Justin Fields ranked among all 62 starting QBs in 2021

Bears’ Justin Fields had an eventful rookie season filled with plenty of ups and downs. See where he ranked among every starting QB in 2021.

The future is bright for Bears quarterback Justin Fields. Although his rookie season was rocky, there was plenty to be excited about as the former first-round pick gets a fresh start with new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

While the Bears have yet to hit the practice field — Chicago’s offseason program is expected to start in early April — there’s already reasons to be excited about the potential in 2022. Getsy stressed the importance of building the offense around Fields, which sounds simple yet meaningful. In that regard, Fields is expected to make a big jump in his second season.

NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal ranked all 62 starting quarterbacks in 2021. Fields clocked in at No. 28, which ranked behind only New England’s Mac Jones (16) among rookie quarterbacks.

The tools are there. He ran more than expected, and his deep accuracy came as advertised. Missing five starts down the stretch was disappointing, but he’s going to be learning a new offense in 2022 anyhow. Wasting a year with Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace was predictable, but I’m just as high on Fields now as I was on draft day.

Clearly, Fields still has plenty of work to do if he’s to become a top quarterback in the league. But considering the circumstances with poor protection and with a coach in Matt Nagy that didn’t prioritize his development, and the fact that he was a rookie, there’s reason to believe he’s going to make a leap in Year 2.

As for the other Bears starters in 2021, Andy Dalton came in at No. 33 and Nick Foles, who started one game in place of an injured Fields and Dalton, clocked in at No. 46.

Dalton is slated to hit free agency next month while Foles still has one year left on his contract and will likely serve as Fields’ backup in 2022.

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