Current NFL media in a microcosm: Justin Fields
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 12:41 pm
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.
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.