The short version: Fields struggled mightily on Sunday, though the Bears’ offensive line and offensive coordinator certainly made their fair share of mistakes. But we’ll talk more on that later this evening.
The slightly-less short version: Justin Fields is struggling to consistently get to his 3rd (sometimes 2nd) read without running into timing issues, and there’s no pair of plays where that was more evident than Fields’ 1st sack of the game, where he missed DJ Moore wide open on the play’s backside…
Oh boy. Here's Justin Fields' 1st sack.
Motion tells us we've got zone, but Tampa drops from a 2-high look into Cover 3 after the snap.
We like Mooney pre-snap, and honestly? He's NFL open. Throw it!
But if you didn't like Mooney, look at DJ Moore! He's open *the entire play* pic.twitter.com/ALdFFj2A7F
— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) September 18, 2023
…and this early completion, where Fields is too slow through his reads and can’t find Tyler Scott wide open on the play’s backside.
The good news: #Bears rookie WR Tyler Scott wins this route CLEAN
The bad news: Fields must've been late in getting to him because the ball isn't thrown.
Maybe he felt pressure from Braxton (he flushes out to his right), but nice rep from the rookie WR pic.twitter.com/KPifjp0His
— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) September 18, 2023
The Long Version: JT O’Sullivan put out a phenomenal long film study that came to many of the same conclusions while highlighting issues within the Bears’ scheme & pass protection. Check him out here:
Your Turn: How are you feeling in the wake of Sunday’s game?