Mike Martz Again Reaches Hasty Conclusion
Mike Martz, the quarterback-slamming mercenary, is at it again.
He'll rip any team's quarterback for a buck and has proven it on The33rdteam.com.
Today's entree for Martz's enjoyment was Justin Fields, fresh off the 41-10 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
"He just can't do it. He just can't do it," Martz says in analysis on video for the website.
Martz, the former Bears offensive coordinator and Rams head coach calls for Fields' benching.
"I think this whole situation with him has demoralized his team," Martz said. "He's brought it down. If they don't make a change it's only going to get worse, if it's possible to get worse."
The team isn't demoralized after three games. If they are, they should fire the coach now and maybe the GM.
Then Martz tipped off he really hasn't been studying the entire thing by leaning forward, as he's trying to come up with the name of the backup QB.
"I think you're almost forced to make a change that his point, whether it's Tyson Bagent or whoever it is."
And he pronounces Bagent's name wrong, another tip he just came on there to feast on some low-hanging fruit after the third straight Bears loss this year.
Some of what Martz provides in almost three minutes of analysis is true.
It wouldn't be bad if he simply did his homework and realized what he's concluding, however. They're not turning yet to a quarterback from Division II who has barely even had time to figure out what a week of practice in the NFL looks like let alone read defenses.
Fields is what they have for now and if they suddenly ditched him for a kid who may or may not be talented but is still trying to figure out where to take the snap (hint, it's from center), then they really will have veteran players on the team who are upset.
No one in their locker room is demoralized yet, although some more injuries this early in the season might do it and not Fields' play.
All of them support Fields still. There are limits to patience but they are nowhere near this.
"There's layers to this thing as well," Martz said. "The receivers didn't compete well. They dropped a couple deep balls that he threw in there very nicely."
There really was only one like this. DJ Moore should have held onto one, and if he catches it, breaks free and scores, guess what? They would have lost 41-17, to paraphrase the great Sammy Baugh after the Bears beat his Redskins 73-0 in the 1940 championship game after a receiver dropped an easy TD early in the ghame.
Martz's analysis of the receivers' flaws led him to say he saw them quitting on routes in a few cases.
"For me as a coach I couldn't deal with that," Martz said.
This hasn't been an epidemic. He's only nit-picking.
Martz does have some insight, especially about Fields holding the ball. Anyone can see this is happening.
"He's got opportunities in this game to get the ball out to crossers and whatnot," Martz said. "He doesn't throw it."
"He just won't get rid of the ball," Martz added. "He just gets stuck on guys, you know?"
Martz points out one aspect of play Fields has struggled at, and that's beating zones because he doesn't anticipate. Fields sees it and then throws. By then, the coverage shifts.
"You're always going to be late in a zone on that," he said. "Just the cognitive skill, he just doesnt have it."
Martz also rips their offensive line and defense but it shows he isn't even aware of the fact they played with backups in four of their five offensive line spots.
Martz is right about many things in this analysis but urging Fields' benching after three games for someone totally inexperienced, after he has faced three of the better defenses in the league, just seems like someone being hasty and trying to be trendy with their commentary.
Fields hasn't bottomed out when this kind of thing happens against the defending world champions. More time to reverse this is needed.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
