3 notable differences from Justin Fields to Andy Dalton with Chicago Bears

Handling the Pocket

It should be no surprise, but Justin Fields stays in the pocket longer than Andy Dalton. On average, Fields has 2.98 seconds to throw each pass, while Dalton has a 2.5-second time-to-throw rating. Fields obviously has to hold the ball longer if he is going to push the ball down the field.

Beyond that, there have been the arguments that Fields’ biggest flaw is sticking onto his first read. This shows a bit here.

However, the other notable stat is pressure to sack rate. Fields has a 30% pressure to sack rating while Dalton is down at 20%. This is not an offensive line stat, but a quarterback stat.

It is not saying how often you are under pressure, but rather how you handle it. When the offensive line struggles with Dalton, he throws the ball away and helps his team 10% more than Fields. Fields holds the ball more often and takes sacks 10% more.

This is the trade-off, and something Fields will need to work on. It is great to hold the ball and let things develop downfield, but there needs to be a timer to get rid of the football.