Through four games of the 2022 campaign, Justin Fields ranks last in a series of quarterback statistics.
The Chicago Bears quarterback ranks 32nd out of 32 rated quarterbacks with 16.8 attempts per game, a 50.7 completion percentage, 117.8 passing yards per game, a 6.0 interception percentage and a passer rating of 58.7; no other qualified QB has a passer rating lower than 70 in 2022.
Despite the difficulties, Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy chooses to see the positives.
“I don’t think he’s had a rough month,” Getsy said via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “I think he’s gotten better every week. I think he’s growing tremendously. And you know, it’s not easy. We’re playing good football teams and it’s not easy to become the level of quarterback that he wants to be, and I know it.” that he can become.
“The important thing is that we stay focused, keep our eyes on that progress or that process and make sure we get better every week, and I think we’re in that phase.”
Fields has yet to have a 100+ passer rating in a career game (his career-high passer rating came in his lone start against Minnesota, Sunday’s opponent, in Week 15 of 2021, 285 passing yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 96.6 passer rating).
The Bears quarterback has a draw in 11 straight games (the longest active streak in the NFL). Only Eli Manning has a longer streak in the last 10 seasons (14 games).
Fields has struggled to process quickly under pressure behind a sieve offensive line. He has been sacked 16 times (tied for second in four games) and has been pressured on 44.6 percent of pullbacks, according to Next Gen Stats (second place).
The Bears rank last in the NFL in passing yards per game in 2022 (97.5). No team has averaged fewer than 110 YPG passes in a season since 1980. Only four teams have averaged fewer than 125 YPG passes in a season since 1980, and none of them won more than five games that season. Chicago has 34 completions and 67 pass attempts through the first four games. It’s the fewest completions and pass attempts through the first four games of a season by any team since the 1982 Patriots had 26 completions of 60 pass attempts.
Not everything is in the quarterback. The main office didn’t exactly surround Fields with guns or great protection. It’s a point not lost on Getsy.
“We have a lot more going on than just evaluating Justin Fields right now,” Getsy said. “That’s what everyone wants to assess, quarterback all the time, and I get that. It’s all good. This is a process for the 11. There are so many factors that go into what happens around Justin, and just sitting here and say, ‘Oh, we’re just focused on whether or not this guy is going to be the guy,’ that literally isn’t even on my mind or I don’t think it’s on anyone’s mind in this building.
“We’re just in the process of getting better. How can we make every person in this building better every week? As long as we keep getting better, then we’re going in the right direction.”
The Bears will try to find the right direction on Sunday against a Vikings defense that ranks 26th in passing defense and 23rd against the run.
