Could There Be a Conspiracy Involving Late Hits on Justin Fields?
The Bears have grown increasingly frustrated with the recurring issue of Justin Fields being subjected to late hits during plays.
This problem seems to resurface every season, with Fields frequently taking hits when he's sliding or out of bounds, while officials often refrain from penalizing the opposing players.
In the recent 28-13 victory against the Detroit Lions, the issue was evident as Fields slid, but Lions linebacker Jack Campbell made contact with him without any penalty flag being thrown.
Bears safety Jaquan Brisker expressed his concerns, stating, "If it was us, they'd be throwing it. There wouldn't even be a reaction. They would just throw it. So I think they should just treat him fair. He is a quarterback. Now I know he's 230 lbs and he's running a 4.3-second 40-yard dash, but it doesn't really matter. He's still a quarterback, and we have to protect him."
Instances of late hits on Fields have occurred in previous games as well, including the game against the Vikings. Brisker pointed out that some opposing teams appear to instruct their players to engage in such behavior, targeting Fields with late hits, shots to the head, and attempts to disrupt his performance.
Brisker emphasized the need for the league to address this issue, as such hits could lead to severe consequences for a player's health.
While Brisker did not provide specific examples, he suggested that other teams may have a strategy to target Fields in this manner. This tactic has been observed in previous games, such as Fields' rookie year against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where multiple hits on him were overlooked, while the Bears received penalties for similar hits on Ben Roethlisberger.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus, who actively communicates with officials during games, is likely to submit video clips to the league regarding these plays. Such actions have previously led to fines and apologies by the league.
Eberflus emphasized the importance of protecting quarterbacks in the league and expressed his dissatisfaction with the first late hit on Fields during the Lions game. He stressed the need to ensure the safety of quarterbacks, especially when they slide.
Fields emerged from the game without any reported injuries but acknowledged the need to improve his decision-making regarding when to release the ball to avoid unnecessary hits.
| POLL | ||
11 DECEMBRE | 91 ANSWERS Could There Be a Conspiracy Involving Late Hits on Justin Fields? Is justin Fields being treated fairly by the refs? | ||
| Yes | 13 | 14.3 % |
| No | 78 | 85.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
