Nobody is criticizing Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields for being indecisive anymore

LAKE FOREST – Bears quarterback Justin Fields wanted to throw the ball to Darnell Mooney. The problem was Mooney had already turned his back toward the QB, preparing to block for him.

Fields stepped up into the pocket, reared back to throw, saw Mooney wasn’t looking, and decided to tuck it and run instead.

“After I broke the three tackles, of course, I saw that open grass,” Fields said Wednesday when asked to recall his 61-yard touchdown run in Sunday’s loss, 35-32, to Miami.

Fields set the NFL regular-season record for a quarterback with 178 rushing yards Sunday. He did it while also throwing three touchdown passes. Besides Fields, the only NFL QBs to throw for three touchdowns and run for a touchdown in the same game this season are Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson.

It’s remarkable that Fields’ name is coming up with the likes of Allen, Burrow and Jackson. That was unthinkable a year ago, and it was unthinkable as recently as six weeks ago. For three straight games now, Fields has looked calm and confident in the pocket.

“He’s getting more comfortable in the offense,” Bears quarterback coach Andrew Janocko said. “That takes time. I think he’s playing in NFL games. As you play more, you learn. I think he’s getting comfortable with the guys around him.”

Maybe the No. 1 criticism of Fields’ game last year, and a common criticism for many rookie quarterbacks, was his indecisiveness in the pocket. He clearly had the arm talent and the running ability, but he didn’t always effectively utilize those skills because he wasn’t sure what he was seeing on the field.

Now, 19 starts into his career, nobody is criticizing Fields for being hesitant on the field.

“It’s just pocket presence, him knowing the reads, him going through his reads, him delivering the ball, him feeling comfortable to understand that, ‘Hey, he’s going to be able to ride the pocket, step up and deliver it,’” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said Wednesday at Halas Hall. “And again, that’s a learned skill.”

Playing time might be the No. 1 most important commodity for a young quarterback. The only way to gain a feel for the pocket is to stand in the pocket in those pressure-packed moments.

The touchdown run, obviously, showcased Fields’ scrambling ability, but it also showed that he is keeping his eyes down field when he’s on the move. He stepped up into the pocket and reared back to throw. Doing so made the linebacker hesitate, and it gave Fields enough space to blow past him.

“Just take what the defense gives you,” Fields said Wednesday. “Play every play out. Situationally, what’s the down and distance? What do we need to accomplish on this play? Of course, if there is a big play there, then take it.”

After his epic performance Sunday, Fields earned the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award for the first time in his career. He is the first Bears quarterback to win the award since Week 10 of 2018, when Mitchell Trubisky won it.

Fields’ rise over the past few weeks is a lot more nuanced than just gaining experience, though. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and his staff have refocused this offense with an emphasis on creating favorable situations for Fields. That means more designed runs, more play action boots and more opportunities to move the pocket laterally.

Last year’s offense didn’t do that enough. Matt Nagy thrust Fields into a starting role early in the season without giving him any first-team reps during training camp, in an offense that was built for Andy Dalton. It was a recipe for disfunction.

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To start this season, Getsy’s offense ran the ball well over the first four weeks, but wasn’t utilizing Fields’ abilities well. So Getsy did something about it. When the team had an 11-day layoff between games in October, he looked at the offense with fresh eyes and made changes.

There has been a feeling out process, both for the quarterback and for the play caller.

“We’re learning him and he’s learning the offense,” Eberflus said. “It’s kind of both.”

Transactions: The Bears opened the 21-day practice window for linebacker Matt Adams. The 26-year-old linebacker injured his calf in Week 5 against Minnesota. He remains on injured reserve, but can be activated at any point during the next three weeks.