It’s easy to blame the quarterback when an NFL offense looks terrible. That’s been the case with the Chicago Bears and Justin Fields, especially following Week 2’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Justin Fields’ hot start ended with some mind-numbing offensive miscues.
I often say that fans can’t assess a quarterback fairly until after having all of the data, including game film, to understand the context of each play. And even then, we still don’t know exactly what went wrong on a bad play. Players play within a scheme, and each scheme has rules. Players follow those rules, even if the film suggests they should’ve broken structure and used instincts instead.
Sure, franchise quarterbacks are scheme-proof and always seem to make the right play. They break the rules because they have the ability to do so. But it’s still a layered analysis. If pass protection breaks down or receivers run the wrong routes, even the NFL’s top quarterbacks will struggle.
It’s a problem that’s magnified in Chicago because of the fanbase’s hunger for a franchise quarterback. Mitch Trubisky was supposed to be that guy, and he failed. Justin Fields is now holding the torch of hope for the Bears, and he’s trending in the wrong direction.
He isn’t without blame for the Bears’ struggles. He’s playing timid and beginning to look like a quarterback who sees ghosts in the pocket. That’s concerning.
But offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has been downright atrocious in his playcalling and overall play design.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky took to X and shared one glaring example of how bad Getsy’s offensive concepts were on Sunday against the Buccaneers.
Check it out:
You guys try and go play QB in this
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) September 18, 2023
1) QB isn’t playing well
2) No one is.
Incredibly frustrating and hard tape to watch for @ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/PUmpcdzOLV
That’s just one example from a game littered with them. The decision to call a screen pass when the Bears were inside their own five-yard line and looking to drive down the field to win the game was a firable offense.
To make matters worse, the Chicago Bears will face their toughest opponent of the season in Week 3’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes are a well-oiled machine on offense, and they’ll share the same field with Fields and a Bears team that can’t get out of their own way. It’s going to make a bad product look even worse.
