Bear Digest

Justin Fields Paces the Pack

The No. 1 most explosive runner in the league is Justin Fields based on an NFL NextGen Stats metric.

Gene Chamberlain

USA Today
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Justin Fields is No. 1, he doesn't just wear the number.

At least he's No. 1 in one positive category.

NFL NextGen Stats has posted its 10 most explosive runners of 2022 and the top 10 include three quarterbacks with Fields among them. Writer Nick Shook concludes the league is only going to get further flooded by quarterbacks who can run in the future.

That's fine, as long as they can pass.

But Fields doesn't just rank in NextGen's top 10, he is the league's No. 1 most explosive runner ahead of all running backs, quarterbacks and receivers.

Fields rates ahead of Lamar Jackson, who was fourth, and Josh Allen, who was ninth.

Jalen Hurts was among "just missed the cut."

League rushing leader Josh Jacobs didn't make the cut, either.

Fields did lead the NFL in yards per carry at 7.1, an all-time record for anyone with at least 125 rushing attempts but nowhere near the record of Michael Vick's in 2006 when he averaged 8.4 yards a carry but only had 123 rushes. Maintaining that kind of average is naturally more difficult with more carries.

Shook used the metric "explosive scores," in determining the most explosive runner. He used a player's top speed, average speed and number of big plays to come up with this metric.

Fields beat out Seattle's second-place running back Kenneth Walker by 8 points with a 98 for "explosive score."

"Fields' 2022 season was visually thrilling," Shook wrote. "Statistically, it was incredible, especially considering the state of the Bears last year."

Fields had 33 runs of 10 yards or longer and did it on 20.6% of his runs. He 89 runs when he attained at least 15 miles per hour, the most in the league. He did this on 55.6% of his rushes.

Now, if only Fields can push into passer ratings the way he has done with rushing ratings, the Bears will be satisfied.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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