Justin Fields on reason for ‘robotic’ play vs Bucs: ‘It could be coaching’
Justin Fields, the quarterback for the Bears, is encountering the overthinking part of his career. In other words, he’s not playing with an easy fluidity.
Some describe it as robotic. Fields believes he may be over coached. Speaking to reporters, Wednesday, he also started a firestorm of comments on social media.
“You know, could be coaching I think,” Justin Fields said. “At the end of the day, they are doing their job when they are giving me what to look at. But at the end of the day, I can’t be thinking about that when the game comes. I prepare myself throughout the week and then when the game comes, it’s time to play free at that point. Thinking less and playing more.”
Coincidentally, the Bears play the Chiefs, the defending Super Bowl champs. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes definitely plays with a certain relaxed kind of joy. The pro game started slowing down for Mahomes almost as soon as he joined the NFL. How else do you explain a 28-year-old quarterback who has earned two Super Bowl rings, three AFC titles and has played in five straight conference championship games.
Justin Fields, the former Ohio State great, is one of the best running quarterbacks in the league. He may be the best, depending on how you rate the Ravens Lamar Jackson or rookie Anthony Richardson. But fans haven’t seen that this season. In a game against Tampa Bay last Sunday, Fields completed 16 of his 29 passes for 211 yards. He threw one touchdown and the Bucs defense intercepted him twice. The Bears now have lost 12 straight games. The streak of futulity dates back to the week before Halloween, 2022.
So Fields said he plans to think less and rely on his football gut more against the Chiefs.
“My goal this week is just to say F it and go out there and play football how I know to play football,” Justin Fields said. “That includes thinking less and just going out there and playing off of instincts rather than so much say info in my head, data in my head. Just literally going out there and playing football. Going back to it’s a game and that’s it.
“That’s when I play my best, when I’m just out there playing free and being myself, so I’m going to say kind of bump all the what I should, this and that, pocket stuff. I’m going to go out there and be me.”
His stats do suggest he’s thinking too much. Defenses have sacked him 10 times in the first two games. Maybe in certain situations, he’s holding the ball too long. He rushed nine times for 59 yards in the season opener against the Packers. But against the Bucs, he carried the ball only four times, not even averaging a yard per rush.
Bears fans, who expected so much more for their QB in year three, pointed to this play against the Bucs as an example of their Justin Fields’ concerns.
He says he’s talked to the coaches about the game plan. Head coach Matt Eberflus is defensive oriented. But OC Luke Getsy is a former college quarterback who used to be Aaron Rodgers coach and passing game coordinator with the Packers.
“I don’t think it’s too many coaching voices,” Justin Fields said. “But I just think when you’re fed a lot of information at a point in time and you’re trying to think about that info when you’re playing, it doesn’t let you play like yourself.”
After his press conference, he returned to make sure reporters knew he wasn’t blaming the coaches for his play. “I can play better. Point blank,” he said.