Bears: Another former quarterback weighs in on Justin Fields situation
Everyone from ESPN analysts to the local gas station attendant wants to weigh in on the Chicago Bears quarterback situation. We already heard what Steve Young and Warren Moon had to say about it, so why not another former quarterback? This time, that quarterback is not going to make the Hall of Fame, and in fact, was more of a backup in the NFL than a starter, but that does not mean his opinion is any less important, right? He weighs in specifically about Justin Fields.
FanSided national NFL insider, Matt Lombardo recently interviewed former Lions and Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch. Within the interview, Lombardo asked Batch about Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears’ quarterback situation. Here is what Batch had to say:
"“When you look at the Bears’ situation, Andy Dalton is keeping that seat warm, and he knows he has to get off to that fast start, be at that 6-2 mark, because of that defense that they have in Chicago. They have the talent to compete for the division title, they feel like they have the roster to compete with Green Bay for the division title. They have all of the pieces.”"
Apparently Charlie Batch has not been paying close attention to the Chicago Bears cornerback situation. This team is counting on Jaylon Johnson to be great, but even more importantly, they are hoping that Kindle Vildor actually improves on the small sample size we have seen from him. His flashes of strong play need to become more consistent because too often he is giving up chunks of yardage. You can hear the entire interview below:
The only hope is that the front seven is good enough to apply pressure that the cornerbacks won’t have to hold their coverage too long. Charlie Batch continued by saying:
"“I think Fields is in a different type of situation and expectations than some of the other rookie quarterbacks, only because he hasn’t been named the starter at this point. The pressure’s not on him, as much. It won’t be on him until he’s in a real game, and hopefully it’s not in a situation where he’s 1-3 or 1-4 situation and needs to step in and show and prove he can improve that franchise.”"
Although Charlie Batch is right about Justin Fields and the expectations on him currently, there is one thing I think he is missing. The pressure that the Chicago Bears fan base is going to put on him makes his situation and expectations even greater than the other rookie quarterbacks. This franchise has not had a good quarterback since Sid Luckman. Justin Fields is supposed to be the savior of this team and the good news is that so far, Fields has looked the part.