Justin Fields showed he is an elite rusher in the NFL, not just for a QB
The Chicago Bears offense led by quarterback Justin Fields was one of the most prolific rushing units in the NFL, an impressive feat, especially considering the fact that the team was often trailing in most games. As a quarterback, Fields was an immense factor in this success, but where exactly does he rank amongst quarterbacks, and runningbacks for that matter, on the ground?
As a rusher, Fields was the best quarterback on the ground, and it wasn’t particularly close. With 76.2 rush yards per game, Fields finished first amongst quarterbacks, with 12.5 more yards per game than Lamar Jackson, who was second, and 6th overall across all players. Fields finished second amongst quarterbacks with eight rushing touchdowns and tied for 12th amongst all players (Jalen Hurts led all quarterbacks with a crazy 13 rushing touchdowns, boosted by the incredibly efficient quarterback sneak that the Eagles often ran on the goalline).
Fields was first amongst all players with 7.1 rush yards per attempt, with Lamar Jackson finishing second with 6.8 yards per attempt. Fields also had the second most rushing attempts for a quarterback with 160 carries, only five behind Jalen Hurts, who led all quarterbacks. For perspective, Fields was 35th overall in rushing attempts. And finally, Fields finished first amongst QBs in first downs earned on the ground with 65 and was tied with Jamaal Williams for fifth overall across the NFL.
Unfortunately, Fields led the NFL in total fumbles, which also includes strip sacks, but only lost two throughout the entire year. This total was certainly a lucky break for the young quarterback but does show a trend that hopefully Fields, and the offense as a whole, can improve going into 2023.