The Chicago Bears fell to 0-2 on the season after a tough loss on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team has faced lots of criticism early on in the season, and fans are addressing all areas of the team as possible concerns for the Bears, but is it really time for the Bears to panic on the 2023 season?
Yes, losing to the Buccaneers was tough, especially after the Bears’ set the expectations high to start the year. After an impressive offseason with a solid draft and the acquisition of players like DJ Moore, Tremaine Edmunds, and TJ Edwards, the Bears’ fanbase was in a very optimistic mood moving forward. 2023 is the prove-it year for Fields, and much of his play on the field will determine if the Bears continue to stick with him in the future. If the Bears keep losing, they could likely land a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, a draft that is headlined by Heisman winner Caleb Williams and other notable names like Drake Maye and even Shedeur Sanders. If the Bears can turn it around and Fields can play at that MVP-level we’ve been expecting him to be able to play at, then Fields might earn himself new life and maybe even a new contract if the Bears do that good. Of course, only time will tell, though.
Much of the concern for the Bears’ flaws early on in 2023 have surrounded the playcalling and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Specifically, fans on social media continued to allude to the fact that the Bears ran a high number of predictable screen plays, usually on a 3rd and long. I can understand trying it once or twice, but to seem to continue to stick with it after you know it’s not working is a very questionable move. But it’s not just the screen plays, it’s a combination of the lack of targets and catches for both DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, two guys you would expect to be getting the ball a lot. And while Fields and Moore are in their first year together and you expect their to be a learning curve, you’d think the Bears’ coaching staff would better incorporate them into the playbook.
The other concern many fans are making is if Justin Fields can be the guy to be a franchise quarterback. For the sake of all us Bears fans, I really hope so, even if that means he has to start slow. But, Bears fans have been nothing more than just in their early assessment of Fields through two games. What do we know about Justin Fields? We know he is one of the top-rated deep-ball passers in the NFL, and when he targets downfield, he is about as accurate as they come. So, back tracking to the playcalling, there seemed to be a significant lack of shots downfield early enough in the game to threaten Tampa Bay’s secondary vertically. You have the vertical threat in DJ Moore, and he should be getting double-teamed if you throw it downfield, so if that play breaks down, you could at least hope Fields can find a second receiver to get some yardage. We also know that Fields is one of the league’s best threats running the football with his legs. He’s right up there with Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. So it has to be on the coaching staff to implement more of that into the playbook and use your quarterback’s weapons to your advantage. I’d rather go out trying for a long pass down field rather than a beyond-predictable and likely to-end-in-chaos screen play.
Anyway, back to Fields. One legitimate concern about Fields analysts and fans alike have made is his ability to be a pocket passer, adn rightfully so. Fans noticed a key play that likely would have ended in a touchdown had Fields just threw the ball to the open receiver, but Fields hesitated and kept the ball, and the play was a waste of a down at the end of the day. We can make excuses, but I’d rather see the Bears make changes to at least try and get some positive plays on the field. I believe that Justin Fields can be a franchise quarterback, but you have to play to his strengths first, and then improvise with the playbook. We know Fields succeeded at Ohio State with weapons and a good offensive line, and while college and the NFL are different drastically and Fields’ weapons were better at Ohio State, we still expect Fields to take that next step as a passer.
Maybe this is all one big overreaction and the Bears will start to click offensively with the combo of Luke Getsy and Justin Fields matching each other, but until then, it’s just to criticize the play on the field we’ve seen.
