Justin Fields flashed some maturity in Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers.
There has been plenty of talk circling Fields' chances of developing behind an underwhelming roster this season. Pair that with the rainy conditions for Sunday's game and Fields should have had a tough day.
However, Fields had a great game escaping the pocket and making plays against a tough 49er defense. He ended with 149 total yards and two touchdowns. While his stat line is underwhelming, his development is visible, according to an ex-Chicago Bear.
"How I always knew that a quarterback was grasping what you're doing, is whenever he knew where his outlet receiver was," Dave Wannstedt said. "That's huge from a coaching standpoint."
Wannstedt took Dante Pettis and Equanimeous St. Brown's touchdowns as excellent examples of Fields' progressions and his reads. This skill is invaluable, not only to all quarterbacks but especially in a game with rain and a subpar offensive line.
The line gave up two sacks by the game's end, but Fields did an excellent job of creating space for himself and getting out of the pocket. Coupled with his reads and knowledge of Getsy's playbook, this should be chalked up as a successful game for the second-year quarterback.
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One of the biggest questions of the off-season surrounded Fields' development. How can you measure success with Fields' development outside of the record?
Seems like Fields is already answering that question in Week 1.