Justin Fields Says He's Spent Months Focused On This Area Of His Game

Justin Fields wasn't satisfied with how 2022 ended for him or the Chicago Bears. Losing 14 games was unacceptable. It also didn't help that he had a rough season as a passer, barely cracking 2,000 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. People have blamed those numbers on his below-average receiving corps and porous offensive line. That is somewhat fair. His targets dropped 13 passes last year, and he was sacked 55 times. That said, don't expect Fields to blame either of those issues.

When things don't go right, he points his first finger at himself. He wasn't good enough. He has to be better. That is why he has been attacking the 2023 off-season with a will. His focus has narrowed to one specific part of his game, according to Larry Mayer of Chicagobears.com.

Fields revealed that the one aspect of his game he's working on the most this offseason is getting the ball out of his hands quicker.

"Just being more consistent with my quick game stuff," he said. "I feel like down the field I'm pretty accurate. Just being more consistent with getting the ball out faster, being more accurate, giving my wide receivers, my running backs, tight ends a better chance to catch the ball and run for extra yards. I'm focusing pretty hard on that this offseason."

This is a great demonstration of self-awareness.

Fields struggled a lot last season getting the ball out fast. On throws of 0-9 yards, he had four touchdowns, four interceptions, and a pedestrian 82.6 passer rating. By contrast, his fellow 2021 draft class member Trevor Lawrence had 13 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a 103.1 passer rating. Fields must learn to hit the layups if he wants to be great.

Justin Fields has more advantages this time around.

The Bears spent the past three months fortifying the offensive roster. D.J. Moore and 4th round pick Tyler Scott bolster the wide receiver room. Veteran guard Nate Davis and 1st round offensive tackle Darnell Wright fortify their beleaguered offensive line. Even the depth at running back and tight end got better with new arrivals like D'Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, and Robert Tonyan. So he has far more help this year. Adding to that optimism is that he's entering the second season in Luke Getsy's offense. This is usually when quarterbacks really start to show progress.

One thing is clear. Justin Fields has not changed his approach in the slightest. He is still working harder than ever to make himself great. History shows the results will come when that happens. Jalen Hurts is one such example. There are many others. The talent is there. The desire is there. Now the help is there. Fields understands where his game must improve to evolve as a passer. If his work bears fruit, this offense will be much harder to stop in 2023.