The Ways Justin Fields Has Advanced
Bears coaches and Ryan Poles like what they see from Justin Fields and they're not simply putting out lip service about it because he is the path they've chosen to take until next year's draft.
From both their actions and what they say, it's evident Fields has their full confidence.
Last year coach Matt Eberflus spent more of his time during the work week leading up to games visiting with the offensive side, sitting in on meetings.
That's going to change.
"Last year, I was a lot in the offense with the quarterbacks because I wanted to build a relationship with Justin and learn that terminology, how they do things, how they operate, how they install," Eberflus said. "So I did a lot of that.
"I'm gonna spend more of a 50-50 blend this year, and that'll be good for our whole football team."
Eberflus needed the offensive side perspective himself because of his own experience only on the defensive side, but also to see what's going on with a first-time offensive coordinator he didn't know as well as his defensive coaches.
He also needed to evaluate what was going on with Fields if they all were going to tie their future to him.
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It's probably just as well he spends more time this year with the defense because ultimately last year it was the defense letting them down the most. They allowed 33.1 points a game in their 10-game losing streak, sank from third on pass defense earlier in the season to 18th, finished last in sacks with 20 and next to last at defending the run.
That's all a good reason to watch his defense more. They can use another eye.
Luke Getsy's Actions
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy had found a way to generate almost 30 points a game over a stretch of five games before the injury to Darnell Mooney, one to Khalil Herbert and one to Fields helped disrupt momentum they'd generated.
Now Getsy might not need to use drastic measures like planned quarterback runs because the passing game seems to have made progress with Fields.
"It's not one particular thing; I think it's on a whole, when you see the guy who's comfortable with the footwork, with the progressions, with the communication in the huddle," Getsy said. "You guys see him using a lot more cadence in the first two days, so all that stuff I think has been fun."
It's not just Getsy saying Fields has advanced. They're able to expand things with the passing game in their meetings that they couldn't last year. Players are saying they're getting "crazier" with the offense and Getsy used the word as well.
"We're using our brains a little bit more, so we're trying to get a little crazier," Getsy said. "We're trying to have a little bit more fun with things. And then the coolest part—the most important part—is that these guys are starting to take ownership of it so it's theirs.
"It's not what I just said in the room and they're robots. They're out there putting their flavor on it, which is the most important thing when you want to have success."
The Key Step
The next step Fields took made this all possible. That was to get on the same page in the offense with DJ Moore. After all, if you're paying more for a receiver than any player on the team, you neto use him. Fields has. Every drill, every scrimmage session whether 7-on-7 or 11-on-11, since OTAs through the first four-practice "stack," as Eberflus refers to it, Fields is looking for Moore.
It was as much a forced on-field relationship as arranged because neither Darnell Mooney nor Chase Claypool were around for either all or most of spring practice.
"It's simplified right now, but it's good that they're able to be on the same page," Getsy said of the Fields-Mooney connection. "So as we continue to grow and things start to get a little bit more complicated with the looks that you're going and the offense we have in, we've just got to make sure that we continue to keep that pace.
"But they spent a lot of time together in the offseason and the summertime, too, so I feel good about where they're at."
Now what they're seeing of Fields is the type of advancement they say they had hoped to see with other receivers.
"Much of the same that we've been saying—just the rhythm and timing of the passing game, having him get connections with the guys you didn't see in the spring," Eberflus said. "And continue to develop a connection with DJ. He's done that.
"You've seen a lot of great passes to (Moore). With Clay and Mooney, the guys you didn't see, that's starting to take hold. You see him really getting comfortable with Bobby (Tonyan)."
On Saturday, he found Cole Kmet and Equanimeous St. Brown for big catches in a two-minute drill.
"Again, we're just going through the offense, installing it one install at a time, getting the concepts down and changing up the plays in how we motion and how we shift," Eberflus said. "Guys are doing a good job with that."
Quicker and Quicker
All along, they're watching how fast the ball is coming out.
"For sure," Getsy said. "He's done nothing but continue to get more comfortable with all that stuff through all the time we've been here."
The matter of a few tenths of a second between too long and fast enough is not always discernible to the untrained eye but they say they see it.
"Yeah, I think all the guys are doing a pretty good job so far," Getsy said. "We're still without pads, so it's all nice when you're not getting hit and everything.
"When we start getting the rush (Tuesday) and all that other stuff, we've got to make sure that we're on point. We're on a good pace right now."
Getsy or quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko would be the ones to know.
"That's pretty much 90% of what we do is that timing and rhythm and making sure that we have the ball where it's supposed to be and when it's supposed to be there, and so we just keep drilling the heck out of it and then you take it to the team and 7-on-7 drills and then hopefully that carries over into your games," he said.
The addition of a more realistic rush this week with players in pads will cause changes, maybe to change where or how he Fields delivers it sometimes. It will come out a little later at times, too.
"There’s that element that the pocket that has to move and change a lot more when there's a real rush," he said. "That's playing this position at the highest level when you're able to manipulate the pocket, not necessarily always scramble, but manipulate for an angle of the throw or anything like that. So that's what I'm more talking about."
It's another phase of an on-going process, one they say they see working as expected on a daily basis.
If it keeps up like this, Eberflus can devote even more time to the defense than 50%.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
