Bears: Off and running
It’s the offseason in the National Football League. The NFL draft ended. The free agent signing period has begun. The first games are less than 100 days away.
Like a lot of die-hard football fans, I’m optimistic about my Chicago Bears’ chances of doing well in the upcoming 2023 season. However, the occasional pessimism surrounding my favorite player, quarterback Justin Fields, keeps running through my head.
As much as I want to tell them to “get off of my lawn,” they keep trying to trample on my optimism for Fields and the Bears.
“He’s not a quarterback; he’s a running back,” some of my fellow Bears fans have said. I don’t care if the non-Bears fans say this, but when one of my fellow Bears fans says this, I get annoyed..
They don’t stop there. These so-called Bears fans will also say, “He can’t throw.”
I’m writing to set the record straight.
His outstanding passing statistics at Ohio State speak for themselves.
But for the Bears, Fields ran because he had to. Last year, he was sacked 55 times, the most in the NFL. That’s how bad his offensive line was. Anyone who values his health, would not just stand behind that line too long. If you did, you risked being body slammed by one or two 6 foot 5, 285-pound defensive linemen.
So last year, Fields ran.
And ran.
And ran some more.
When he was done, he set the Chicago Bears rushing record for a quarterback with 1,143 yards in 15 games. If the Bears had not sat him out of the final two games of the season, he would have easily broken Lamar Jackson’s record of 1,206 yards set in 2019.
Now for my fake Bears fans. On the list of top running quarterbacks was former Bears’ QB Bobby Douglas, who held the team’s previous quarterback rushing record until Fields broke it. Well, I’m old enough to remember watching Dougas play and throw. Douglas, I loved him to death because he wore a Bears’ uniform, but the man had some throwing issues.
Douglas could not throw. In his NFL career, he completed an average of 43 percent of his passes. In his prime with the Bears from 1971-1973, his best year he completed 46 percent of his passes.
Fields can pass. In his two-year NFL career he has completed 59 percent of his passes, including 24 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
The problem is that stupid fans want him to just sit in the pocket. Until the Bears get Fields a better offensive line and receivers who can separate from defenders and catch the ball, I say run Fields run.
In fact, because of Fields ability to run and throw–the Bears are worth watching.
So run Fields run!
That’s what Jared Allen of the Buffalo Bills did when the protection broke down. Last season, Allen helped his Bills beat my Bears 35-13 by rushing for 41 yards on six carries. One of his carries was a TD run.
Daniel Jones of the New York Giants had no problem or push back from his fans when he chose to run instead of pass. Last season, Jones’ legs helped the Giants beat the Bears 20-12. He rushed 6 times for 68 yards for an 11.3 average.
For the pessimists who want to disparage Fields–a quarterback who can beat you with his legs is dangerous.
With the improvements made to the Bears offensive line with Nate Davis formerly of the Tennessee Titans and the drafting of Darnell Wright from the University of Tennessee, this year Fields should be able to stay safely in the pocket to throw.
But if that pocket breaks down–run Justin run!
And if you’re a pessimistic Fields hater–run and support another team.
