QB Expert Says Bears Already Found Easy Justin Fields Solution

Every time the Chicago Bears play the Green Bay Packers, it feels like pulling teeth on offense. Things never seem to go right. That is especially true for the quarterback position. It’s been a long, long time since a Bears QB had an actual good game against that team. Justin Fields continued that tradition with an ugly outing at Lambeau Field, amassing only 70 yards the entire evening. It left people wondering what went wrong and if the former 1st round pick has what it takes to play in the NFL.

Tim Jenkins, a notable private quarterback tutor for several future pros, evaluated the tape from Sunday night. While he acknowledged Fields struggled at times, he also saw glimpses of a great competitor that can make things happen in difficult circumstances. He also saw some things the offense did that indicated a potential solution to the problem. It comes down to whether the Bears coaches are willing to use it more often.

Justin Fields can control games with more tempo.

Former NFL scout and analyst Bucky Brooks noticed a growing trend back in 2014. Several offenses were starting to use more tempo. It was hard to discern why from an outside perspective. So Brooks asked around to get some answers. A picture quickly formed. There were clear benefits to this approach. Benefits that could be particularly valuable to a young quarterback struggling to deal with aggressive and exotic pro defenses.

“When I broached the subject with several coaches, they told me that changing speeds creates more scoring opportunities and, by limiting the number of substitutions that can be made, forces defensive coordinators to abandon their exotic sub-packages. Opponents also tend to lean on more vanilla coverage and employ fewer blitzes, due to concerns about miscommunication and blown assignments. Revving up the pace allows offenses to control the game.”

That seemed to work for the Bears against Green Bay. The Packers had a much harder time controlling the game once the temp started late in the 3rd quarter. They couldn’t stop the run, and Justin Fields had more open receivers than he’d seen most of the night. Tempo alone won’t fix everything for the Bears. However, it’s an easy way for them to get their young quarterback into a rhythm. Right now, defenses can keep him off balance with lots of blitzing and heavily-disguised coverages. Tempo can take those away.