Those who have wanted to blame Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy for quarterback Justin Fields’ struggles through the first two games of the 2023 season (which we detailed in depth here) got a whole lot of new ammunition when Fields gave his Wednesday morning press conference. Right or wrong, you will rarely see a player detail his struggles with a coaching staff as Fields did here.
Fields started off with his goal for Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense.
Justin Fields didn’t hold back.
Must watch. I love it. pic.twitter.com/bLMrdGXpKP
— Dave (@dave_bfr) September 20, 2023
“My goal is to go out there this week and say ‘F-it’ and just play football how I know how to play football.” he said. “That includes thinking less, and just going out there and playing with instinct. Rather than just… with so much info in my head and so much data in my head, and just going out there and playing football. Going back to, ‘It’s a game,’ because that’s when I play my best — when I’m out there playing free and bring myself. Dump all the ‘what I should do’ and all the pocket stuff. I’m gonna go out there and be me.”
When asked why he was thinking too much… well, that’s when it got interesting.
“Could be coaching, I think. At the end of the day, they’re doing their jobs when they’re giving me what to look at. But I can’t be thinking of that when the game comes — I prepare myself throughout the week, and when the game comes, it’s time to play free at that point.”
Fields also acknowledged that his coaches have wanted him to work more from the pocket, and when a reporter brought up the strip-sack by Buccaneers linebacker Cam Gill with 2:19 left in the second quarter, Fields had a ready answer.
“Exactly,” he said. “Exactly. I’m leaving. I’m gone. Time clock [his internal clock], I’m gone out of the pocket. That’s why that happened, because they wanted me to work on staying in the pocket in the offseason, which… there’s times when you do, but when your internal clock goes off, that’s when you need to extend the play.
“So, it’s just kinda like… taking their coaching, and then… it’s not going to work out perfectly every time. Yes, there are times when I could have stayed in the pocket, but on that play, I was in the pocket for a long time. I’ve got to extend the play and do something with it.”
Justin Fields said the Bears wanted him to work on staying in the pocket in the offseason.
He acknowledged that there’s times when that needs to happen, but that he needs to run more too. I’m expecting things to look a lot different this week. pic.twitter.com/miHv4wGaw5
— Harrison Graham (@HGrahamNFL) September 20, 2023
On the play in question, it was third-and-13 from the Tampa Bay 27-yard line, and the Buccaneers up, 10-7. Fields had tight end Cole Kmet and receiver DJ Moore running mesh, and receivers Chase Claypool and Trent Taylor running benders about 20 yards upfield. Fields clearly didn’t want to throw to the mesh, and when the pocket started to break down, his internal clock told him to run through Tampa Bay’s Cover-3.
Would that have worked for a positive play? Perhaps. The larger point here is an obvious schism between coaches and quarterback, and you don’t generally see a quarterback making it this public. Not a great sign for a Bears offense that is already circling the drain.
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