NEWSLETTER
If you’re a fan of BN, there are a few things you just know. There are staples of the people that comprise BN within the content that makes BN. One of those things is Luis’ Taylor Swift fandom (which I share, but today isn’t about me). So, Luis put together a sweet Taylor Swift x Bears crossover featuring Justin Fields flanked by silhouettes of the “eras” of Swift’s 17-year career. In the crossover, Luis compared Bears players to the various Swift albums. If you are a fan of both, you surely appreciated the parallels drawn by our favorite Taylor Swift fan.
My favorite was the 1989 comp to quarterback Justin Fields. 1989 is my personal favorite Taylor Swift album. As Luis describes it, the album was Swift’s ascension from pop star to international music sensation. This is precisely the leap we need Fields to take this season. Hats off, Lu.
And by the way, our friend Lu has had a rough six-plus months, and I know how much tonight’s Taylor Swift concert means to him. So have a blast my friend!
Speaking of Justin Fields, he’s featured here in this Friday edition of Extra Points.
Here’s what we’ve got lined up today:
Justin Fields Rave Reviews
Sure, the OTA hype train can go off the rails from time to time. But excuse me for feeling like I want to throw my Justin Fields jersey on and run through a brick wall after hearing NFL Network’s Stacy Dales share what Bears defensive coordinator Allen Williams told her regarding his observations on Justin Fields the past couple of weeks at Halas Hall.
“Number one, he talked about the improvements with his leadership. Number two, decision-making; number three, accuracy; and number four, a good one, just how fast he is processing. He noted that from day one of last year to now, the growth; you can just feel it.”
If that doesn’t have you ready to flip your desk and run out of the office on this gorgeous Friday afternoon, then I don’t know what will.
Look, again, taking the fact that it’s June 2 and there hasn’t been a single pad strapped on at Halas Hall thus far, this is the type of stuff that we need to hear about Justin Fields as he enters year three.
I spent countless hours watching, analyzing, and clipping Justin Fields’ film in 2022 to put together my Fields Film column, and the consistent takeaways were just the things that Williams told Dales he’s seen thus far. Processing speed, decision-making, and accuracy were the three things that held Justin Fields back in 2022, a season in which he put everything else together on tape.
If the early returns on Fields in year three translate to the field 100 days from now against Green Bay, the rest of the NFC North better be on notice.
Orlando Brown Jr. Settling In with the Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals spent big money on another big man in front of franchise quarterback Joe Burrow this offseason. The Bengals gave Orlando Brown Jr. a four-year, $64 million contract with $31 million guaranteed.
So, how is their $64 million tackle fitting in?
“You know, we have a nice little rivalry with the Chiefs and to see him come over, you know, it’s like, yeah, we one-upped y’all.,” Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd said on Tuesday.
When the Bengals reconvened in Cincinnati for the start of OTAs a couple of weeks ago, Joe Burrow called the signing “exciting.”
“Yeah, it was exciting,” Joe Burrow said of the Brown signing in his Tuesday press conference. “He’s been everything you could hope for so far. He’s a great locker room guy — big, strong, athletic. Things are going great. Love that guy. So, I’m excited to go out and play with him.”
You can’t blame Burrow for being excited. He was sacked 41 times last season, the sixth most in the NFL. In 2021, he was sacked 51 times, more than any other quarterback in the league. Heck, he was sacked 32 times in 10 games during his rookie campaign in 2020 (3.2 sacks per game!) before he went down with an ACL injury. All told, Burrow has been sacked 124 times in 42 career games. That’s good for roughly three sacks per contest.
As for Brown, he called Joe Burrow “everything you can hope for,” in a QB, and said that Burrow is “always playing chess ten steps ahead of the next man on and off the field.” High praise from a guy who has spent his career blocking for Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.
Speaking of Joe Burrow …
There’s been plenty of discourse on whether or not Burrow should leave some food on the plate for the rest of the Bengals’ offensive core regarding his new contract.
I would never tell someone what to do when it comes to their money. If Joe Burrow wants to take the Bengals to the cleaners and become the highest-paid quarterback on the planet, he’s earned it.
If he chooses his teammates and prioritizes winning, then the legend of Joe Burrow has just begun in Cincinnati. He’ll be a hero in his home state forever. And it will allow the Bengals to retain and add the pieces necessary to get back to the Super Bowl.
