NFC North Buzz: Justin Fields drama, Akers to Vikings; Packers, Lions top division
Are things a little bit too “robotic” for Justin Fields in Chicago? The Bears quarterback sounds off ahead of Week 3. The Viking pulls off a trade for Cam Akers and both the Packers and Lions look to take control of the NFC North.
The Chicago Bears are 0-2 and things are starting to blow south in the Windy City for the team and their third-year quarterback. After a Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Fields made the following comments that seemed to throw his coaching staff under the bus.
"“Could be coaching, I think,” Fields said, as transcribed by NFL.com. “But at the end of the day…they’re doing their job when they’re giving me what to look at and stuff like that, but at the end of the day I can’t be thinking about that when the game comes. I prepare myself throughout the week and when the game comes, it’s time to play free at that point. So just thinking less and playing more.”"
NFC North drama: Is Justin Fields on the hot seat or just misunderstood?
Coming off a promising second season in the NFL, there was excitement surrounding the growth of Fields and his role as the Bears franchise quarterback. But a slow start has aimed him a step backwards and now his maturity is being challenged. After the comments made above, Fields clarified what he meant in what seemed like a job towards the coaching staff.
"“I’m not blaming anything on the coaches, I’m never going to blame anything on the coaches. I’m never going to blame anything on my teammates,” Fields said on Wednesday. “Whatever happens in the game, I will take all the blame. I don’t care if it’s a dropped pass, it should have been a (better) pass. Put it on me. Never when you hear anything come out of my mouth to where I will blame it on somebody else in this organization, my teammates, never will you hear that. I just want to clear that up.”"
In all Fields knows he must play better, especially this week going up against the Kansas City Chiefs. In the first two games this season, Fields has a 70.7 quarterback ranking with 427 passing yards and two touchdowns against 3 interceptions. While it’s a team game, Justin Fields hasn’t taken a leap so far and if the Chicago Bears want to quickly turn their season around, it will be on the arm, leg and leadership of Fields.