Chicago Bears: These 10 facts could prove to doom Matt Nagy
By Ryan Heckman
Matt Nagy is failing Justin Fields by how he handles the Chicago Bears’ protection
5. Justin Fields has been sacked on 14.4 percent of his dropbacks this season
No other quarterback is at 10 percent. Just think about that for a moment. And for all of the “Justin Fields holds the ball too long” folks, just wait about 10 seconds.
Whether it’s Nagy choosing 5-man protection against Cleveland or the Bears’ line being unable to stop a 3-man rush with a 7-man protection, this is all on the head coach — period. This is 100 percent coaching. There is no way this number should be so high.
6. Justin Fields’ time to throw ranks between 19th and 23rd in the NFL
Depending on which outlet you trust (PFF, Sports Info Solutions, etc.), Fields’ average time to throw ranks anywhere from 19th to 23rd in the league. Regardless of which number is true, this proves that Fields is not holding the ball too long, despite what some critics say. Sometimes, he has held it too long. But to say it’s more often than not is a myth.
This stat directly relates to the above number, and if Nagy had any clue, he’d be addressing this in practice. It’s one thing for an offensive lineman to be overpowered by a pass rusher. But, it’s another thing to watch linemen stand clueless and look as though they aren’t sure who to block. That’s on Nagy.