Bears overreactions: Is Fields already better than Lamar? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Bears' 35-32 Week 9 loss to the Miami Dolphins felt like a win. That happens when your second-year quarterback sets an NFL single-game rushing record and looks to be the best quarterback in his draft class.
Justin Fields dazzled against the Dolphins, won NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, and had Chicago celebrating the long-awaited arrival of its franchise quarterback all week.
I can't blame anyone for being excited about Fields. What he has done over the last three weeks has been sensational, and now he gets to face a bad defense on Sunday when the Detroit Lions come to Soldier Field.
The dopamine levels could be at an all-time high.
Fields' historic performance against the Dolphins brought out quite a wide range of reactions.
Let's dig through the post-party confetti and dissect the reactions to Fields' latest coming-out game before turning the page to Week 10:
Overreaction? No.
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I'm not going to touch the refs part. Have you watched the Pac-12 in the last 20 years? The officiating is horrific.
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As for Fields being "the guy," I don't think there's any question he's arriving. While all the other 2021 QBs have either treaded water or regressed *stares at Mac Jones* Fields is taking the expected leap with the help of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's willingness to change the offense to fit his quarterback's strengths.
Implementing more designed runs have made Fields more decisive both in the run game and the passing game. In the first six weeks of the season, Fields either wasn't seeing throws or was hesitant to pull the trigger on them.
That hasn't been the case in the past month. Getsy has found a way to get Fields in a rhythm early, and the second-year signal-caller has been accurate and decisive when throwing the football. Now, he still only threw for 123 yards against the Dolphins. More production in the passing game is needed. That will come as Chase Claypool gets more involved and things open up more.
But if you entered this season wondering if Fields is the quarterback of the Bears' future, you can put those doubts six feet under.
Overreaction? Yes. For now.
This is the good stuff. Appreciate Mike for not holding back.
Lamar Jackson won an MVP in his second season. That season, Jackson threw for 3,127 yards and 36 touchdowns while rushing for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns. He did that in 15 games.
I don't know if Fields is a better runner than Jackson, but it's fair to say they are on level ground. Jackson is the most elusive runner in the NFL, but when Fields decides to put his foot in the ground and go vertical, he's pretty impossible to stop.
Fields' growth as a passer will decide this debate. There's no doubt Fields has more natural arm talent. He's one of the best deep-ball throwers in the NFL. The accuracy and efficiency we have seen from him over the last three games are encouraging. Should that continue and the yardage follows, you could see Fields climb into the conversation with Jackson next season.
Is he better at the moment? No. Jackson is a top-six quarterback in the NFL. Is the potential there? Absolutely. But it's up to Fields and the Bears to ensure the progress continues and isn't a three-game blip.
Overreaction? Yes and no.
Fields is not going to win the MVP this season. His three-game run has been impressive and should give Bears fans the belief they have found their franchise quarterback.
But the Bears are 3-6, and Fields has only thrown for 1,322 yards and 10 touchdowns while completing 58.8 percent of his passes. The running numbers are nice, but the slow start, the Bears' record, and Fields' overall passing stats don't put him in the conversation.
Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, and ... Geno Smith are your front-runners. I also wouldn't count out Patrick Mahomes.
Now let's get to 2023.
This will depend on Fields' trajectory over the final eight games of the season, and the moves general manager Ryan Poles makes in the offseason.
If Fields continues to make strides as a passer during the final two months and the Bears give him a better line and more weapons, there's no reason to think he won't be at the top of a lot of lists to start the 2023 season.
Overreaction? No.
Fields' growth over the past month rightfully takes up most of the oxygen, but what head coach Matt Eberflus and his staff have done since the mini-bye week should get more attention.
Quarterback and coach are the two tentpoles to long-term success in the NFL.
Signs are pointing toward Fields being the long-term answer behind center. But what Eberflus has done is impressive. Not only did he and his staff make wholesale changes after six weeks to fix a broken offense and get Fields trending in the right direction, but he has also maintained buy-in from a defense that lost its two best players at the trade deadline.
I like the discipline Poles has shown as general manager, but we need to see the moves he makes in the offseason and the 2023 draft before we can offer a verdict on Poles.
Young team. Ascending quarterback. Smart coach. That should equal a bright future.
Overreaction? Yes.
I agree Jones has struggled in pass protection. There have been some OK moments, but overall the numbers (28 pressures, five sacks) aren't great.
Per Pro Football Focus, he is giving up about three pressures a game. He's also a fifth-round draft pick who is getting better.
If the Bears were, say, 5-4, they might look to go with Riley Reiff and Larry Borom at the tackles for the final eight games. But they are 3-6, and this season is all about building up the young talent on the roster.
RELATED: Fields is arriving, now it's up to Bears to do the rest
As long as Jones keeps making marginal improvements, he'll stay on the field. Implementing more QB-designed runs has also taken a little heat off the offensive line.
Jones gave up six pressures in the Week 6 loss at Washington. He has given up eight total pressures since. That's proof of marginal progress. Probably enough not to make a change.
Overreaction? Yes.
This might be my favorite overreaction in nine weeks.
Anytime you're putting a player in the same sentence as Michael Jordan and Walter Payton, it's going to be an overreaction ... at the moment.
Let's be clear: If Fields reaches his ceiling and leads the Bears to a Super Bowl title(s), he will be in the pantheon. I can't in good conscience say he's already headed there.
Do the Cubs get any pantheon members?
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