Bears OC Roasts Starting Quarterback

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields has had plenty of problems dealing with opposing defenses so far in the 2022 regular season. Now, he has to worry about friendly fire too. Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy nailed the second-year passer with a spicy zinger at a Thursday press conference:

Confronted with Justin Fields' 50.7% completion percentage, #Bears OC Luke Getsy pointed out:

“He should have less than 50% because he should have thrown about 6 or 8 of them away instead of taking some sacks."

Love that comment. But also, not great!

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) October 6, 2022

Sick burn, Getsy. Sack avoidance is a consistently underrated aspect of quarterback play, and Fields has struggled with it so far since joining the league, taking one on a frustrating 19.3% of his dropbacks this year and 13.4% over his 16 total appearances. 

As a point of reference, supposedly statuesque quarterback Peyton Manning took a sack on a mere 3.1% of his dropback over his 17 seasons. Fans love the spectacle and excitement a mobile quarterback provides, but sometimes passers create problems for themselves by extending plays.

I know Justin Fields trusts his legs and picked up the 1st, but imagine if he doesn't bail here?
That pocket is fine -- just slide and reset -- no need to panic, IMO.
And if he stays in, he finds a wide open TD here down the seam. The Bears ultimately scored 3, not 7 this drive. pic.twitter.com/GMef1JgG8m

— Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL) October 4, 2022

The Bears' problems aren't all on Fields. They ranked 22nd in scoring the year before he arrived, and quarterback Andy Dalton didn't fare all that much better than Fields when he played for the Bears in 2021, taking sacks on 7.1% of his dropbacks despite a 6.0% career mark.

Still, whether or not Fields is the primary culprit, the Bears need to pass the ball better. They rank 32nd in passing yards, 31st in net passing yards per attempt, and 31st in scoring through four weeks. They face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. 

 Photo Credit: © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports