Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields wasn’t great in Week 2’s Sunday night loss to the Green Bay Packers. It was a weird night for the 2021 first-round pick. He attempted only 11 passes in a game that was dominated by the Packers’ rushing attack and some classic Aaron Rodgers dimes.
Fields did use his legs to score the Bears’ only touchdown of the game (they lost 27-10), but his inability to make plays downfield in the passing game was notable. The panic about Fields’ slow development has been irrational in the hours following the final whistle, and the analytics don’t help his cause.
Fields was the Pro Football Focus‘ lowest-graded player on Chicago’s offense in Week 2. He scored a pitiful 40.8. The next-worst Bear was tight end Cole Kmet, who earned a 47.0 thanks to another game with no catches. He’s been invisible for two weeks.
Fields was at his worst when the Bears didn’t use play action. He scored a 35.4 on those plays, compared to a 61.2 when offensive coordinator Luke Getsy dialed it up. Pressure affected Fields’ grade too. He scored a 40.9 when blitzed and a 40.5 overall when under pressure. Not good.
Analytics never tell the full story, and context is usually required to understand the deeper meaning behind the numbers. But in Chicago’s Sunday night snoozefest on offese, Fields’ grades do tell the full story. He wasn’t very good with the limited opportunities Getsy gave him to make plays.
The Bears offense has an opportunity at a get-right game in Week 3 against the Houston Texans. Fields has to play better against one of the NFL’s lower-class teams. Otherwise, buckle your chinstrap. It’s going to get ugly in the windy city.
