LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Bears quarterback Justin Fields made waves Wednesday when he gave a thorough answer about his early-season struggles, pointing to information overload, coaching, and a desire to be perfect as the potential reason he played "robotic" in a Week 2 loss to the Bucs.
Fields put a lot of the blame on himself and later clarified that his remarks were not meant to disparage the staff or offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.
Still, the Bears must figure out how to get Fields unstuck and ignite their dormant offense.
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Star wide receiver DJ Moore seemed to echo Fields' sentiments about playing "robotic" Thursday when asked for his reaction. "
"He might have been speaking his mind, I don’t know," Moore said. "But at the end of the day, we still got a job to do from the top down, from the coaches to us. We ain’t robots, and we gonna go out there and play the game that we been playing since we was kids and make it that way the best way we can."
Tight end Cole Kmet understands the pressure Fields is under as the 24-year-old face of a charter franchise and pointed to the pieces around Fields being the key to unlocking the quarterback.
"I always put it on myself," Kmet said Thursday. "And all the guys around him. We have to be better around him. That’s first and foremost. So whether that’s running routes or being able to block on the perimeter or in the run game, getting that run game going. Those are all keys to help the quarterback out. This is the ultimate team game at the end of the day, and obviously, the quarterback is at the helm of that deal. But we, for sure, could be a lot better around him."
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson has been a vocal supporter of Fields and agreed with the quarterback's assessment of his Week 2 play. He knows the quarterback is dynamic, but something is holding him back right now.
"I can say so," Johnson said Thursday. "We know Justin is a playmaker, and if he's out there not making too many plays, I don't think it's because of his lack of ability but because of something I would say is going on upstairs, whether it's from a different factor, I would say. But at the end of the day we see him as a big-play guy, a big playmaker. He can throw, I feel like he can make any pass. He can run, he can throw. So I feel like there's nothing he can't do."
BEARS ANALYSIS
General manager Ryan Poles addressed Fields' frustrations Thursday. He understands where the young signal-caller is coming from and said no one in the building views Fields as "a finger pointer."
Getsy said his relationship with Fields is great, and the 24-year-old's frustrations are part of the NFL quarterback evolution process.
Both Moore and Johnson not only agreed with Fields' assessment but pointed to "factors" that might be causing the rut.
At 0-2 and with the Kansas City Chiefs on deck, the Bears have to find a way to unlock Fields. The best way to do that is by blending what he does best with their offensive philosophy. Through two games, they haven't done that.
The Bears' locker room still maintains a steadfast belief in Fields' ability to lead them. There has been no wavering inside the locker room. Fields is the leader of this team. Everyone else is in line behind him.
'The quarterback for most teams is the main leader, just like Justin is here," Moore said when asked about the blame put on Fields for losses. "So when he’s taking it on the chin, like a loss, that’s him being a leader. But we all know that we all played a part in it.”
Now, they all have to play a part in helping unlock Fields and getting this season back on track.