Chicago Bears quarterback, Justin Fields is dominating his draft class

Justin Fields is playing well, but it should get even better

Amongst the five quarterbacks drafted in the first round in 2021, Justin Fields is fourth in total yards per game, total touchdowns per game, and last in total touchdowns to total turnovers ratio. However, it is not time to press the panic button.

Justin Fields has been playing his best football as of late, and considering how much of a mess the Chicago Bears were last year, both organizationally and on the field, it is hard to pin the poor offensive performance on a quarterback with minimal protection and weapons.

There has already been a lot of talk about Josh Allen’s first couple of seasons statistically lining up with Justin Fields’ struggles in his first season or so, but maybe the more prudent comparison is Lamar Jackson. As Fields seeks to beat the quarterbacks drafted in his same first round, similar to Jackson, Fields is being utilized more and more as an athletic playmaker and less as a traditional pocket-passing quarterback.

For Lamar Jackson, this usage came almost immediately, as Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman completely rewrote the offensive playbook after having Joe Flacco starting just a season prior. While Flacco was given the opportunity to command the offense and stretch the field vertically, Jackson is often put in heavy formations with multiple running backs, where read options and designed quarterback runs come naturally. In the passing game, Jackson usually is able to find tight end, Mark Andrews, over the middle, or a faster receiver streaking down the sideline.

Adding consistent playmakers to the Bears’ offense should allow coordinator Luke Getsy to diversify the playbook more with Justin Fields under center. In Monday night’s win over the Patriots, Fields and the Chicago Bears’ offense showed that they are at their best when Fields is on the move, especially in the red zone, and that the young quarterback has a knack for creating space and finding lanes in both the passing and running game.

Which Chicago Bears were winners in Week 7 vs. Patriots?

The Chicago Bears relied on complimentary football and a strong team effort to win their Monday Night Football matchup against the New England Patriots.

As Justin Fields continues to develop and find his identity as an NFL quarterback, it may be proven, both head-to-head and statistically, that he is one of if not the best quarterback from the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.