Who is to blame for Justin Fields' poor performance? The coach or the player?
Chicago Bears fans were eagerly anticipating the debut of quarterback Justin Fields as an NFL starter, but they were bitterly disappointed on Sunday.
The team’s starting quarterback Andy Dalton was brought out of commission by a bone bruise he suffered during the Bears’ win over the Cincinnati Bengals, giving Fields the start that fans had been demanding.
But Fields’ premiere as a starter turned out to be a disaster for Chicago, with the team losing 6-26 to the Cleveland Browns.
Bears fans last week: Justin Fields is the future!!!
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 26, 2021
Bears fans this week: https://t.co/HnKNuZX8DD
The Bears' dreadful offense
The Bears’ offense took a battering and delivered its worst performance in 40 years, with Fields getting sacked nine times. The team ended the game with 47 total yards, with one of them coming from the only pass completed during the game. This number is even more appalling when compared to the Browns’ 418 yards of total offense.
Fields seemed to be prepared to take on his new responsibilities before he started against the Browns.
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“I think I’m ready. I’ve been preparing for this moment a long time. My mindset doesn’t change. I’m still going to play football and prepare the best I can,” he said pre-game.
The Ohio State star’s track record appeared to back this up. He garnered excellent statistics at the university, passing for 5,373 yards and 63 touchdowns in two seasons as starting quarterback for the Buckeyes.
Although Fields didn’t have a particularly impressive performance when he took over after Dalton got injured against the Bengals, hopes were high that he would deliver a decent, if not outstanding, performance last Sunday.
Coach Nagy blamed for Fields' showing
Fields’s showing in Week 3 may have been dismal, but the brunt of the blame has been lain on the shoulders of head coach Matt Nagy.
The coach’s game plan looked tailor-fit for the sidelined Dalton, with hardly a modification to accommodate Fields’ style of play. He also did little to make adjustments in the game.
Football fans expressed their outrage on social media, going so far as to say that the coach set up the rookie starting quarterback to fail. They are also worried that Nagy may end up ruining Fields’ career.
ESPN’s Get Up crew RIPS #Bears coach Matt Nagy, faults him for Mitchell Trubisky’s struggles, and rips him for how poorly he schemed Justin Fields’ NFL debut. Man was that beautiful.
— Ryan Fedrau (@the_fed_23) September 27, 2021
(@GetUpESPN) #DaBears #NFL pic.twitter.com/qd5DMfL3K0
I agree with Dan Orlovsky. The Bears should fire Matt Nagy TODAY. He set Justin Fields up to fail. Shameful to watch. pic.twitter.com/0lqZTGOxnJ
— Mekka Don (@MekkaDonMusic) September 27, 2021
Justin Fields has been sacked 9 times. The most in a game since 2015. Embarrassing.
— dave (@runbackdave) September 26, 2021
Definitely not good for his development. No way you can evaluate his play either. Just brutal.
You gotta fire someone after this performance, right?
Three Bears QBs being considered to start
Now Nagy has announced that all three of the team’s quarterbacks, Dalton, Fields, and Nick Foles are being considered to start for their next game against the Detroit Lions.This could further eat away at Fields' confidence.
The coach had earlier stressed that Dalton was to be the starting quarterback as soon as he had recovered from his injury.
Unless Nagy does something drastically different in Week 4, the Bears might end up getting slaughtered by the Lions on Week 4.
Chicago will host 0-3 Detroit at Soldier Field on Sunday, with kickoff at 1 p,m. ET.