Justin Fields could also be evolving into the franchise quarterback Chicago Bears followers have been ready for since Al Capone was alive. Jim McMahon was a succesful Super Bowl-winning sport supervisor, however Fields is demonstrating his potential to introduce Chicagoans to a better caliber of particular person quarterback play. The scintillating performs he’s made together with his legs due to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy lastly noticing his 4.4 velocity have gotten too frequent to disregard.
His arm expertise remains to be a piece in progress, however he’s been a livewire within the Bears’ beforehand dormant offense whereas throwing to a zombie receiving corps. Despite Sunday’s loss to the Lions, Fields’ spectacular play has stood out. In Chicago’s 31-30 defeat, Fields grew to become the primary quarterback within the Super Bowl period to hurry for 2 touchdowns, throw a pair of touchdowns and rush for 100 yards in a single sport.
Under Matt Nagy, Fields had the NFL’s highest passer score on designed rollouts in 2021, and it took till a 3rd of the way in which by the 2022 season for the brand new teaching employees to note. Through a five-game span, Fields has rushed for extra yards than any quarterback within the Super Bowl period. He’s additionally the one quarterback with a number of speeding touchdowns of 60 or extra yards after one other 67-yard scamper towards the Lions.
The Atlanta Falcons ought to be kicking themselves within the head proper now watching Fields in Chicago galloping previous defenses like their former signal-caller Mike Vick — although Fields is blessed with a sturdier body — whereas Marcus Mariota is tossing footballs towards the clouds like he’d been launched into house and forgot which course the road of scrimmage was.
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A yr and a half in the past, Fields was obtainable for Atlanta to take him with the fourth decide. He’d gone to highschool in close by Kennesaw, performed one yr collegiately at UGA, and longtime franchise quarterback Matt Ryan was already starting to go bitter the longer he performed previous his physique’s pure expiration date. It was the simple selection, and but, Atlanta bought it incorrect. Instead, the Falcons gave Matt Ryan an extension for a younger crew that was within the midst of a rebuild in every single place however the quarterback place.
Additional hairsplitting a few hitch in Fields’ throwing movement, his occasional hiccups towards elite defenses, Fields’ epilepsy prognosis, and Ohio State’s less-than-stellar historical past of manufacturing good quarterbacks, resulted in groups devaluing him out of the highest 10. Yet, the No. 2 decide, Trey Lance, was a North Dakota State quarterback who was even additional behind in his growth than Fields after making a quantum leap from dealing with FCS competitors.
It could be one factor if the Falcons made a variety with that fourth decide that stuffed a place of want with a top-five expertise. A pocket-passing virtuoso, a game-wrecking rusher like Micah Parsons, or a shutdown nook who may drape even the most effective receivers.
No, the Falcons turned down Fields for Florida tight finish Kyle Pitts. This season, head coach Arthur Smith has used mentioned tight finish as a decoy and blocking tight finish. We’re within the third quarter of the 2022 season and Pitt has hauled in 54 receptions for 313 yards.
After Fields’ rookie season, the Falcons ditched Ryan anyhow and incurred the most important cap penalty crater in NFL historical past to make a run at Georgia native Deshaun Watson, as a result of the Falcons have been nonetheless below the phantasm that they have been a signal-caller away.
Like Watson, Fields additionally fell within the first spherical of the NFL Draft as a result of considerations over his accuracy. However, as we’ve seen from Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa, quarterbacks might be salvaged. Fields wasn’t a positive factor, however it’s price kissing just a few frogs to draft a prince.
In the latest draft, Atlanta chosen 6-foot-4 receiver Drake London, however the Falcons’ depth chart doesn’t function an arm who can maximize his or Pitts’ expertise. Travis Kelce doesn’t shine with out Patrick Mahomes. Shannon Sharpe doesn’t dazzle with out John Elway. Gronk was hooked up on the hip to Brady. Mariota ranks twenty seventh in completion proportion, has thrown the NFL’s third-most interceptions, has rushed for half as many yards as Fields, is thirty second in common passing yardage, twenty third in makes an attempt, and is off beam at a prolific charge.
At 4-6, the Falcons seem content material to hover round .500 with Mariota or Desmond Ridder, in the event that they ever determine to ship him out for a twirl. UGA made the identical mistake with Fields throughout his true freshman season, believing they’d discovered their man in redshirt freshman Jake Fromm.
Fields belonged in pink. From UGA to Ohio State’s scarlet pink, the Falcons talked themselves out of cashing in a lottery ticket and have spent two seasons regretting that selection since. Now they discover themselves navigating the panorama hoping one other franchise quarterback finds his option to Atlanta.