Mike Martz switches to positive outlook on Fields

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Ex-Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz sounded unfamiliarly positive on 670 the Score this week speaking about Justin Fields. 

"He's just so impressive. He's just special in every way," Martz said of Fields. 

Huh?

Is this the same Mike Martz?

Over the summer, he couldn't help but criticize Fields and the Bears' offense. 

Not only did Martz compare the offense to the 2016 Detroit Lions offense (the same that went 0-16 in the regular season), but he critiqued Fields after the Bears' Week 1 win over the 49ers and said he didn't think he would ever become an effective pocket passer. 

“From what I’ve seen, I don’t know that he can do it. I just don’t think he can," Martz said back in September

MORE: Mike Martz on Week 1 Fields: 'He was completely awful'

Now, he can't help but praise Fields' talent and the Bears' coaching staff for putting him in a position to succeed nine weeks into the season. 

"This staff, I can't say enough about what they've done with him," Martz said. "Let's take what we know he can really do well, let's emphasize it, and let's bring along the stuff he's not doing very well – we'll work on that on the side. And in the end, it's really paid off because he's growing with every week, leaps and bounds.

"It's pretty exciting to see."

Certainly, the positivity seems relatively warranted at this point. 

Fields has led the Bears' offense to average over 30 points per game over the last three weeks. In the same time frame, he has the highest QBR of any quarterback in the league and the most rushing yards. 

Last Sunday, Fields nearly knocked off the Miami Dolphins with a record-breaking performance, He posted 178 rushing yards (NFL quarterback record) and recorded four total touchdowns. He became the first quarterback to record three passing touchdowns and over 140 rushing yards in one game. 

Three weeks ago, the coaching staff implemented quarterback-designed runs, which has helped open all other facets of Fields' game and implore a productive offense. 

Now, the narrative about Fields has changed. 

At the beginning of the season, Fields' performance sparked the question – should the Bears go after a quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft? Bryce Young to the Bears?

Now, the questions around Fields are more like – Fields potential MVP candidate? Are the Bears Super Bowl contenders next year? 

All we know for certain is Fields' performances have Martz talking a lot different than before the season started. 

"In the last game or two, when he was in the pocket, I think with his confidence up and whatnot, he's actually better in the pocket and quicker with the ball than he was," Martz said.

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