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Matt Eberflus seems quite pleased with what he’s seen from second-year quarterback Justin Fields, thank you very much.
The Chicago Bears head coach appeared on the April 13 episode of The Cris Collinsworth Podcast, and he had some encouraging comments about the second-year signal-caller.
Noting quarterbacks usually take a decent-sized leap in Year 2, Collinsworth asked Eberflus where he thinks Fields stands now, and the Bears coach says the team’s new offense, which will be designed by first-year offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, is going to help the 23-year-old QB improve his game in multiple areas.
While some analysts, such as Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, have been sprinkling doubt as to whether Fields belongs or is wanted in Chicago, Eberflus is going the opposite route.
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Getsy’s Offense Will Help Fields With His Decision-Making, Eberflus Says
“I think he’s in a great spot,” Eberflus told Collinsworth about Fields. “He’s been meeting with the offensive staff and he feels very comfortable in this offense. This is a rhythm and timing offense. It’s based in the West Coast offense, and I think that it’s going to be very quarterback friendly for him, and it’s been quarterback friendly for a lot of guys in the past.”
Fields had some difficulty adjusting to the pro game as a rookie last season, which is to be expected. He was sacked 36 times in the 12 games he appeared in; the only game he wasn’t sacked was Week 1, in which he didn’t start and threw just two passes.
While many of those sacks were due to a lackluster offensive line, several of them were also the fault of Fields, who sometimes held onto the ball a tad too long. Eberflus says Getsy’s offense will help that.
“The rhythm and timing of the passing game is really going to help him understand when to get rid of the ball, what his progressions are … are they yes-no progressions — whatever that might be — he’s going to have a clear understanding of what the offense is,” Eberflus said, adding: “He’s really doing a good job right now of grasping that and helping to teach it to other players as well, so we’re excited where he is.”
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Eberflus on Fields: ‘This Is His Football Team’
Perhaps the most definitive statement Eberflus made about Fields was acknowledging the young QB’s ownership of the team.
“He’s excited to get started,” Eberflus told Collinsworth. “This is his football team, and he’s excited to get going with the guys and you can feel that.”
Fields had 27 designed runs called for him last year, gaining 53 yards on those, per PFF. He also scrambled 45 times, gaining 367 yards, and it’s encouraging to hear Eberflus say the team’s new offense will be designed to help his QB, who showed promise as both a runner:
And as a passer:
It was also good to hear a ringing endorsement of Fields amidst all the rumors and noise. Now, the QB just has to show some improvement on the field.
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