Justin Fields Shrugs Off Concerns About Packers' Trubisky Strategy

Justin Fields was sacked 55 times last season, tied for the most of any quarterback in the NFL. Part of that was inconsistent blocking from his offensive line. However, it's also important to note a lot of those sacks were his own fault. His tendency to hold the ball too long rather than sticking to his timing and rhythm led to him running into pressure that wasn't initially there. Pro Football Reference had some interesting data. According to their numbers, Fields had an average of 2.7 seconds in the pocket. That was the most of any quarterback in the league.

Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, Lamar Jackson, and Marcus Mariota all had 2.6. Yet all of them were sacked fewer than 30 times. How is that possible? Well, Russell Wilson was the only other QB sacked as much as Fields last year. He had 2.5 seconds on average in the pocket. For him to go down that many times speaks to the same problem Fields had. He held the ball too long. The lingering concern is whether the Bears quarterback can overcome this. Teams have already begun adjusting their game plans to keep him in the pocket, or the Trubisky Strategy as it's known these days.

Green Bay first made it famous in 2019 when they shut the former Bears QB down in a 10-3 win, stating their goal was to "make him play quarterback" rather than use his dangerous legs to create. It's expected they will do the same with Fields.

He doesn't seem bothered by the idea.

Justin Fields isn't stupid. He knows exactly what the Packers will do.

Everybody knows how dangerous he is as a runner. That is why he's worked for months on improving his footwork and processing speed from the pocket. Every indication from training camp is that he's gotten much better in this department. His processor has sped up, and he's doing a better job of getting the ball out of his hands. That will be tested by a talented Packers defense who's had his number since he arrived in the league two years ago. He's yet to post a passer rating above 90 against them.

You can't win games against tough opponents if you're quarterback is consistently a weak link. Justin Fields has said multiple times how much he wants to beat the Packers. He's 0-4 against them. For a competitor like him, that is unacceptable. It doesn't matter how the Bears win. If it takes him playing from the pocket, fine. He'll find a way to make it work. If they happen to give him some opportunities to run, then he'll do that. Whatever it takes. Winning is the only end result that matters.