Bears ‘Gutless’ Playcalling is Hurting Justin Fields’ Development
In the competitive landscape of the , the Chicago Bears, led by quarterback Justin Fields, are facing a strategic dilemma that’s becoming increasingly apparent. The conservative approach adopted by coaches like Matt Eberflus seems to limit the team’s potential, especially in the offensive playbook.
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Recently, this conservative strategy was evident against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night, where Justin Fields completed his first eight passes but only for a total of 34 yards. This statistic alone highlights the issue: the Bears’ offensive plays are predominantly short throws, mostly out in the flat, with no significant attempts to attack vertically. In that particular game, he was 21 of 29 for around 140 yards at one point. It wasn’t until the final 30 seconds of the game that the Bears attempted a vertical attack, with Fields connecting with DJ Moore for a significant gain.
This reluctance to open things up is not just a missed opportunity for more dynamic and potentially game-winning plays; it’s also hindering the Fields. The fear-driven mindset of these coaches, aimed at playing safe, is ironically doing more harm than good. As SportsGrid’s Joe Lisi puts it, “These gutless coaches are so afraid to open up the playbook because they, they think they’re actually gonna save their job when, in essence, all they’re doing is prolonging the agony and not allowing Justin Fields to develop.”
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The result of such a conservative approach is evident in the scoring patterns, with many games ending with low scores, often around the mid-thirties. This outcome directly results from the offenses’ preference for short, safe plays over riskier, longer throws down the field. In today’s NFL, where dynamic and aggressive plays often decide the game’s outcome, such an approach seems outdated and ineffective.
The need of the hour for the Chicago Bears is a shift in strategy, one that allows Justin Fields to utilize his skill set fully. Embracing a more aggressive and varied offensive playbook could lead to more scoring opportunities and significantly contribute to Fields’ growth as a quarterback in the league. The Bears have the potential to be more than just a sideline-to-sideline team, and it’s time for the coaching staff to recognize and harness this potential.
