Pittsburgh is looking to get Justin Fields back to the base he pitched from at Ohio State, forgetting what he learned during his time with the Bears
PITTSBURGH — With your right foot planted forward, Justin Fields He stood in the shotgun formation and prepared to receive the ball on the third play of the first preseason game of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While catching the ball thrown by the center Nate Herbig, Fields He reversed his stance, stepping back with his right foot and leading with his left, as his arm began its throwing mechanics.
Within seconds, he found the open receiver George Pickenswho had lined up on the outside left side, delivered a 15-yard dart.
A return to his roots for Justin Fields could lead to improved information processing and quickness in getting the ball out of the way. AP Photo
It was the kind of play that the board of directors of the Steelers I was hoping to see since they sent a conditional sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the man that franchise once considered the future of its franchise.
And, it is one that was made possible, in part, thanks to the work that Fields25 years old –currently listed second in the roster order of the Steelersbehind Russell Wilson— began seven months ago to revert to the natural throwing stance he used in Ohio State and in his first year in ChicagoThe apparent microscopic modification could help the rebirth of Fields in Pittsburgh.
“When I got here, the most important thing was just to be on time and to be accurate,” he described. Fields a ESPNadding that he can play from either base. “They didn’t really care too much about footwork, or my left foot being in front, right foot in front. They just told me, ‘Just close your eyes and whatever’s most comfortable for you, you do that.’ So, that’s what I did, and it was right foot in front, which makes sense. I’ve been doing that my whole life.”
To return to this point, Fields He began showing up three or four days a week at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale or Chase Park in Weston, Florida, for 6:30 a.m. work sessions with Oliver Bozemana renowned quarterback tutor. During their first offseason together in 2023, the pair began their sessions in early May, but at the end of last season, Fields I didn’t want to waste any time.
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“I realized in December and was like, ‘Hey, OB“Look, January, I’m trying to get started. I want to get back to where I was, where I was dominant.”
That dominance took the form of 5,373 passing yards in two seasons for Ohio Statewith 63 touchdowns against nine interceptions, a 20-2 record and consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff on his way to being selected No. 11 overall by the Bears in 2021. That dominance did not translate equally into his rookie year in Chicagoy Fields finished the year completing 58.9 percent of his pass attempts, with seven touchdown passes against 10 interceptions. When the head coach Matt Eberflus and the offensive coordinator Luke Getsy They took over the reins before the second year of Fields in Chicagothe pair decided to reverse the passer’s footwork, teaching him to start with his left foot forward in the shotgun formation.
Although his numbers improved, on paper, over the next couple of seasons, Fields was criticized for his decision making and processing speed. After three inconsistent campaigns and two uncertain offseasons, the Bears They chose to move forward without Fieldsrecruiting in the last draft Caleb Williams.
But even before the plan was finalized, Bears, Fields decided that he wanted to return to his roots.
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“This offseason, we wanted to get back to what was comfortable for him when he was in college, where he shined on the field,” he noted. Bozeman“It seems like I always had my left foot forward, there was always a little doubt or a thought about what I was doing, just because I wasn’t comfortable with what I was doing because I had been used to having my right foot forward for so long.”
Bozeman He then devoted the first 30 minutes of each session to footwork, starting with a warm-up on the stairs. Then, after measuring the energy of the Fields, Bozeman progressed through the rest of the exercises.
“I’m a guy focused on footwork,” he clarified. Bozeman. “Before we even started, we were doing footwork. His throws for the first 30 minutes were probably 5 to 8 yards, pushing into the 10-yard range. We weren’t as focused on the pass, but focused on footwork and matching the feet to the eyes. That was a huge focus point in the offseason, just how the eyes would dictate what the feet would do, just to get him through his progressions a little bit quicker.”
As you see it Bozemanreturn to natural footwork Fields allows you to play faster.
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“A lot of people don’t understand how fast and quick the game moves,” he said. Bozeman. “And just that split second it takes you to think about what you’re doing as the play starts or develops can cause you to be a little late or hesitant in what you’re doing.
“With him having his right foot forward, it eliminated that half second where he was thinking about what he was doing with his left foot forward.”
When he arrived at Pittsburgh for organized team activities and minicamp, Fields and the group of coaches of the Steelers They continued working on what he and Bozeman They started in January, and playing from his natural stance helped him acclimate more quickly to the new team and the new coordinator’s offense, Arthur Smith.
By not moving your footwork anymore and allowing Fields Playing from his natural base, the coaches began to gain the quarterback’s trust, accelerating his adaptation to the new offensive system.
“Looking back in history, it has done so in multiple ways,” he said. Smith“And it’s the trust you try to build. You can’t be so rigid; one receiver might take off a certain way, and then another might not. It’s not like one size fits all, but in the end, it’s about the players and us figuring out their strengths, and how they fit in with the 11 out there.”
And, once he got to training camp, Fields picked up where he left off.
“He’s really focused with so much energy and attention on his footwork in the pocket, playing off a base, working quickly through his progressions, being accurate with the ball in the pocket, all those things that you really see,” the quarterbacks coach said. Steelers, Tom Arth“You could see him starting to take shape in the organized team activities and minicamp, but these last couple of weeks have been so impressive for me, really seeing his growth and development as a quarterback.”
There was no more tangible evidence of the improvement in passing times. Fields that the first preseason game of the Steelerswhen the quarterback completed his first five attempts, and nearly went 6-for-6, had it not been for the officials ruling out a catch by Van Jefferson as if off the field of play.
“Without a doubt,” revealed the head coach Mike Tomlinwhen asked if he was pleased with the pace going from Fields in the game. “I think he — and we — did some good things, but it was just overshadowed by some of the negativity. But from a rhythm point of view in passing, distributing the ball to people, I think he and I did some good things.” Kyle [Allen] “they did a good job.”
Although Fields and his footwork have impressed the Steelers Throughout training camp, he remains listed as the second-ranked quarterback on the roster, despite limited participation from Wilson in camp, remains on track to start in Week 1, but that doesn’t mean the work of Fields It is insignificant. It is the first step towards recovering your identity.
