ESPN Favors Justin Fields To Steal The NFC North

Believing in the Chicago Bears right now is tough. They went 3-14 last season. It was the worst record in football. When that happens, it often takes a team multiple years to get back to winning. Then again, the modern NFL is full of examples where teams went from the bottom to the top in their division right away. GM Ryan Poles saw it in Kansas City when they went 2-14 in 2012 to 11-5 in 2013. Head coach Matt Eberflus saw it in Indianapolis, going from 4-12 in 2017 to 10-6 in 2018. If any regime believes a quick turnaround is possible, it's this one. Much of that will hinge on Justin Fields.

There is no question the young quarterback showed improvement last season. He was the most dangerous running threat in a league, including Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. The problem people had was his passing. He finished with the lowest yards per game by miles and had some rough moments on tape. Still, progress was evident in spurts. Was it enough to convince people he can overcome Kirk Cousins and Jared Goff in the race for a suddenly wide open division?

Mike Greenberg of ESPN and former wide receiver Harry Douglass think so.

Justin Fields has the talent. Now he must show the polish.

The one advantage Cousins and Goff have over him is their seasoned experience from they\ pocket. They long ago learned how to operate like professional quarterbacks. Fields is by far the better athlete and also has the best arm. His biggest issue is gaining comfort in the pocket. While he makes good decisions, his inconsistent footwork has led to request accuracy issues. In addition, he suffered from an unwillingness to throw the ball in tight windows last season. That led to him holding it too long and often either being forced to run or take a sack.

Such a playing style might help him survive during his early years, but he can't do it forever. If he wants to become one of the top guys in this league, he must learn to do it with his arm. Justin Fields understands that. He has dedicated countless hours this off-season to mastering the offensive system and improving his footwork. Coaches have said he is night and day better from where he was at this point last season. If they're right, the NFC North is far from a pipe dream.