It wasn't a perfect debut for Justin Fields against the Kansas City Chiefs. Anybody expecting one was being unreasonable. He's in a new offense with a new coaching staff trying to undo all the damage Matt Nagy did to him last year. The key going into this preseason was seeing if he could improve his overall operation. That meant from how he read defenses pre-snap, processed coverages post-snap, and how quickly he made decisions with the football.
There were a few moments that felt like 2021. He abandoned the pocket or came off a read too quickly. However, there were also signs that he'd learned some things. The ball was coming out quicker. He made proper adjustments at the line of scrimmage. Best of all, he protected the football and threw with accuracy. Nowhere was that on display more than late in the 1st quarterback. Backed up in their own territory on the 8-yard line, Fields needed to convert a 3rd and 8 to keep the drive going.
Kansas City was showing blitz. Fields adjusted the protection to compensate. He was correct as the Chiefs brought a safety from his left. Center Sam Mustipher failed to pick him up properly. That meant Fields had to get the ball out fast. What followed was his best throw of the day. If you want an idea of how ridiculous it was, listen to former NFL quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan gushing over it during his tape review.
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That play was 95% Justin Fields.
Tajae Sharpe deserves credit for making an excellent catch. Everything else is the quarterback. It started with Fields recognizing the blitz. Then it was having the pocket awareness to know the pressure was closing in. This is where it gets exciting. His retooled throwing motion allows him to get the ball out a millisecond before the safety hits him. The ball is put in the only spot where the defensive back had no shot at it, but Sharpe does. Seriously, if it's six inches inside, that might be a pick-six, and if it's maybe two inches outside, it's incomplete. That is how tight the window was. Accuracy like that can't be taught. That is Justin Fields being a ridiculously talented thrower of the football. What made it even more exciting was the entire process leading up to the throw.- Read the blitz.
- Adjusted the protection.
- Felt the pressure.
- Got the ball fast.
- Threw accurately from the pocket.
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