Is Justin Fields ready for Baltimore Ravens blitzes?
If there is one thing that Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears have to be prepared for when they take on the Baltimore Ravens, it is their diverse blitz packages. The Ravens rank third in the NFL in blitz rate, blitzing more than 1/3 of the time. However, for Baltimore, it goes beyond that because their defensive coordinator Wink Martindale puts intricate time into his blitz packages.
Brian Baldinger of NFL Network breaks down how the Ravens use pre-snap looks and adjustments throughout the game to get successful blitz packages. This will obviously be a huge test for Justin Fields because while he struggled against Cleveland, it was four-man rushes, those rushers just so happened to be former number one overall picks.
Tampa Bay blitzed a bit more than Cleveland and had success, but overall the blitz has not phased Justin Fields. Now, he struggles with pressure, and as noted it can come with four thanks to his offensive line. However, when he sees the blitz, he does a great job of getting the ball out of his hands.
Justin Fields can handle the blitz
According to PFF, Fields has a 3.14 seconds to attempt when he is not blitzed, but when he sees the blitz it is down to 2.72. Beyond that, his yards per attempt is 7.4 when blitzed, and 6.9 when not. His passer rating is 73.8 when blitzed, and 67.1 when he is not. Lastly, he has a 6.8% big-time throw rate when not blitzed, and 6.9% when blitzed. It just does not phase him, and in fact, forces him to speed up his process which is arguably a weakness of his.
Of course, there is a difference between the blitzes that Justin Fields faces, and the blitzes that Martindale will bring. Sunday will be the ultimate test. Still, Fields sees the blitz at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL, 34.1%.
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To put that into perspective, the Ravens are one of the league leaders, and they blitz every quarterback less than every defense blitzes Justin Fields. With that in mind, Martindale will either ramp things up to ten and blitz on half of the snaps or more. Or, he will pull the surprise and know that the blitz does not hurt Fields. He will show blitz, and then drop defenders to confuse Fields and get him to make quick reads into lanes he is not sure on.
The cat and mouse game will give us a great look at what Justin Fields can be.