LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Bears have a pass protection problem. Who deserves most of the blame for the pass-pro struggles is up for debate, but there's no doubt quarterback Justin Fields can help his beleaguered offensive line by getting the ball out quicker.
Per Next Gen Stats, Fields' time to throw is the second-longest in the NFL at 3.03 seconds. Only New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (3.2) ranks behind Fields. That meshes somewhat with ESPN's note that all but five of Fields' sacks this season have come after the median sack time of 4.29 seconds.
Those stats tell you Fields is holding the ball too long and his internal clock needs refining. We knew that. It was something noted when Fields entered the NFL out of Ohio State and is a common problem with elite college quarterbacks who play behind strong offensive lines in college. At Ohio State, Fields had the freedom to pat the ball and wait for receivers to work open as Ohio State's offensive line kept the heat off him.
In the NFL, that luxury doesn't really exist.
The Bears are working with Fields on listening to his feet and getting the ball out fast and on time. That will come with experience and a lot of mechanical work. But it is something they believe the 23-year-old quarterback can improve on during the season.
"I think so," head coach Matt Eberflus said Tuesday. "I think you can make small incremental improvements as you go. With anybody, I think you can learn to read your keys and see what the coverages are faster. I think you can identify that pre-snap, post-snap a little bit faster. I think you can do that."
Fields needs to get the ball out faster. The Bears also utilize the quick pass game more to take the pressure off a line that has given up 86 pressures and 23 sacks through six games, per Pro Football Focus.
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Eberflus wouldn't directly say that the Bears believe Fields is holding the ball too long. When asked Tuesday, the Bears' head coach simply stated how getting the ball out quick can hurt defenses.
But Eberflus mentioned several times Tuesday, both when discussing Fields' time to throw and the Bears' six-week evaluation of the quarterback during the mini-bye week, that everything ties back to mechanics.
"Just like we've been saying and I think he has been improving on it," Eberflus said. "It's his footwork and the timing. We think he is doing a good job of that. We did a few different things last time, in the last game, that helped him. So we're just looking forward to doing some more of that and going through that process."
The Bears' offensive line has been a point of concern since training camp began. Giving up 18 pressures in an ugly 12-7 loss to the Washington Commanders on Thursday night only ratcheted up the heat on the much-maligned unit.
Eberflus knows the Bears have pass-protection issues. Anyone witnessing the beating Fields has taken through the first six weeks can see that.
Fields has been pressured on 46 percent of his dropbacks this season, per ESPN. That's the most through six weeks since they started tracking pressures in 2009.
It's a problem. But one that isn't just on the five guys tasked with keeping Fields on his feet.
"We all know we're improving there," Eberflus said of the pass protection. "But pass protection is everybody, right. It's not only the offensive line. It's the tight ends, it's the running back, it's the quarterback. So it's everybody. Pass protection is always going to be all 11 of them. We will improve on that."
Fields isn't without blame when it comes to the Bears' pressure numbers. Pressures and sacks are a quarterback stat as much as an offensive line stat. There have been several instances this season where a receiver came open as Fields reached the bottom of his drop, but he failed to pull the trigger.
The Bears' wide receiving corps also is among the worst at creating separation in the NFL, per PFF. That's another factor in Fields' time to throw numbers. But Fields needs to be better with his internal clock and develop a better feel for when it's time to tuck it and bail from a pocket that likely will be collapsing soon. He can't wait for his receivers to work open for four or five seconds on every dropback.
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Every facet of the Bears' offense should take ownership of the pass protection issues.
But there is no question Fields has been put at a disadvantage behind this offensive line. Eberflus and the Bears know they'll have to factor that into the equation when evaluating Fields' Year 2 performance.
"I think you have to take that into evaluation," Eberflus said after the loss to the Commanders. "When he is clean and the timing and rhythm is there, I think that's what the design of the play is and then when things break down a little bit, you have to look at that as well."
The Bears' passing attack has been a major point of concern through six games. It's one of the two areas Eberflus brought up Tuesday when discussing his staff's evaluation of the 2-4 Bears.
Fields getting rid of the ball quicker is the best remedy for the Bears' pass protection issues this season. In fact, it might be the only one.