Current NFL media in a microcosm: Justin Fields

[Bryan]

I think it was like 10 years ago when ESPN's coverage of football started to get into 'historical analysis' of the NFL...meaning that whenever someone had a good game or a good season, they would either be declared "The Best Ever!" or "The Best Ever?". They also had a tendency to cite things as being historically unprecedented, when in fact these things had happened in the past (sometimes with regular frequency). It was kind of like the combination of ESPN's terrible research staff and their own propensity to overhype rather mundane accomplishments somehow skewed the entire media's perspective on the NFL.

I've had the misfortune of listening to Mike Florio on a weekly basis, and I am still unclear what he actually contributes. There is no context to what he says, no expertise being provided. It's merely Florio's uninformed opinion that is being passed along as 'fact', as if Florio is just the next step in the de-evolution of sports media coverage that began with the biggest clown show ever of Pardon the Interruption with the atrocious Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon serving up nonsensical 'hot takes' for a target audience of people suffering from ADHD.

This NFL season has been somewhat helter-skelter, but I have been fascinated with the media's coverage of Justin Fields. Even though he was a high draft pick, he hadn't done anything noteworthy in either his rookie year or at the start of this season. Through the first three weeks of this season, Fields completed 23 passes to his guys and 4 passes to the other guys. Through the first half of the season, the Bears were just another below-average team that could pull of an upset and then get destroyed the following game. The only noteworthy aspect of Fields' performance was his inability to throw a TD pass.

Then against the Dolphins, Fields had a "break out" game with 3 TD passes (albeit on 123 yards) and 178 spectacular rushing yards. The Bears offense looked good and scored 32 points in a 35-32 loss. In the week following the game, Mike Florio definitively states that Justin Fields is the best QB in his draft class. What? Fields finally has one good game in his career, and he's already deemed to be better than guys like Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones who have literally twice as many passing yards as Fields?

Things get worse the following week against Detroit. Fields has another big day rushing the ball (147 yards & 2TDs) while getting some production through the air as well (167 yards & 2 TDs) while the Bears offense has another good performance. Unfortunately, a terrible interception late in the game by Fields ends any chance of a Bears victory, and they lose 31-30 to a 2-6 Lions team. In the week following this game, Florio 'doubles down' on Justin Fields and speculates on Fields' chances to win the NFL MVP award this year. What? Do we just ignore the fact that Fields spent half the season producing single-digit completion totals with zero TDs? The fact that the Bears have a very good chance of ending their season on an 11-game losing streak? The fact that the Bears' offense is still stuck in the lower half of the league? The fact that Fields ranks 33rd in passing yards/game and 26th in passing efficiency?

I just find this hyperbolic coverage of the NFL to be ridiculous.

[Reaser]

Seems like it was more than 10 years ago but otherwise, yup.

It's announcers, and obviously 'fans' too.

The worst to me is the "I've never seen that before!" stuff. The last few years that's been an epidemic.

Most of the time it's even more ridiculous because of the timing. Will be something that happens a few times a week in the world of football (all levels) and "I've literally never seen that happen" and/or it'll be something that happened on MNF and literally the night before on SNF the same thing happened. Essentially games that you know everyone watched but somehow it's still the "first time" they've ever seen someone make that play, or heard of that rule, etc.

So we've gone from everything is the "best ever" to everything is the "first ever" and by first ever, it usually means at least the third time it has happened in the last 24 hours.

[Terry Baldshaw]

The NFL is all about money. If it can profit from the "greatest ever" happening every week, all the better. The League has mostly forsaken its pre-Super Bowl years.

I've believed for some time America has become a history-averse culture. To most people "greatest" must be of recent vintage. Some of this is the progression of time. In the distant past fans spoke in awe of greats such as Willie Heston, Pudge Heffelfinger and many others. Who even knows of these players today? The same fate awaits in a distant time for the "greatest" of today. Whether past or present all are the building blocks for what is hoped to be a better game tomorrow.

"Never make light of the past, for come some tomorrow we will join it."

[JuggernautJ]

....nonsensical 'hot takes' for a target audience of people suffering from ADHD....

I've believed for some time America has become a history-averse culture....

These are the two most poignant sentences I've read here... or anywhere... in quite some time.
How true. And how far we have fallen...

[Brian wolf]

The media is basically about fantasy football, trying to sell a product that seems to thrive--and profit--off player injuries and games turning unknown or inexperienced players into redeeming or at the moment stars. Young talent does fuel the league but the track records of high draft choices since 2013 has been atrocious. The media has to promote the best way they can with the blessings of the Networks and League and past history even from ten years ago, isnt relative to them.

Thats the beauty of the postseason and crowning a champion. It will be remembered, despite media scrutiny and created headlines ...

[Bryan]

Kind of a funny update...there was discussion this week regarding the long-term plan of the Chicago Bears and Justin Fields; specifically "Can an NFL team win the Super Bowl with a running QB?". It was mentioned that Russell Wilson had the most rushing yards of a SB-winning QB...Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick were strong runners and got their teams to the Super Bowl but didn't win...Lamar Jackson has been pretty ineffective in the postseason...blah blah...

The 'irony' being that the Bears have yet to win a single game since giving Fields carte blanche to run the ball. Yo Bears! Before you start thinking about the Super Bowl, you need to be able to win a regular season game!

Oh, and Trevor Lawrence had a monster game in a win over the division-leading Titans this past Sunday.