Matt Eberflus was hired to coach the Chicago Bears. His responsibility is to get the absolute most out of all 53 men on the roster. However, he isn’t stupid. In this modern era of the NFL, the relationships that often determine the success or failure of a franchise are between the head coach and the quarterback. When he accepted the Bears job, he was taking the challenge of developing talented former 1st round pick Justin Fields.
Things did not go well for him in 2021. Matt Nagy proved that was far from the case despite insisting up and down for months that he had a plan for the young QB. He failed to give Fields proper reps with the starting offense in training camp. Then when Andy Dalton got hurt just two weeks into the season, Nagy refused to adjust the offensive scheme to better fit what the rookie could do well. As a result, Fields struggled most of the season with nine total touchdowns and 15 turnovers.
Not to mention the 36 sacks he took in just 12 games.
So one can understand if the quarterback might be somewhat cautious about trusting Nagy’s replacement. Especially when that man has a deep defensive background, bringing his qualifications for developing a QB into question. Eberflus understood he had to make a positive impression right away. To ensure Fields that they were going to get things pointed in the right direction. So according to Albert Breer of the MMQB, the head coach set aside a large chunk of time the day he was hired to speak with him.
And the triggerman is important too, which is why Eberflus spent an hour and a-half with Fields on his first day on the job. He explained his vision to make Fields as efficient as he can be, and to build an offense around, and for, the former first-round pick.
“I just see a guy that’s ready to develop. He’s so ready to develop and wants to be sponge,” said Eberflus. “We’ve talked about giving him an education on the defensive side in terms of coverages as well as the offensive side in terms of schemes. He’s ready to develop and excited to get going. Certainly, he has the skill set to move the ball with his legs, and we’re also looking at the concept of him being able to get the ball out of his hands, take what the defense gives you, and not only the underneath throws, but also the deep throw.”
Give credit where it is due. Eberflus understood he had to make a positive first impression. He did that by all accounts. During his own press conference, Fields said that he was excited to learn what the coach could teach him about defensive coverages and other tricks used to stop quarterbacks like him. A sign he’d taken what Eberflus said to heart. It also sounds like the head coach did his homework on Field, recognizing the QB’s tendency to sometimes hold the ball too long rather than taking easier throws.
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Matt Eberflus knows what he wants from Fields
In explaining his expectations to Breer, the head coach said his goal is for the Bears is to attack defenses in every direction. Horizontally and vertically. Force them to defend every blade of grass. He wants an offense willing to punch people in the mouth and play with attitude. While the details of the scheme will be necessary, he made it clear that the more important aspect is establishing an identity.
This was always a big criticism of Nagy. He often talked about the scheme, routes, concepts, and all those things. Never once was it made clear what he wanted the offense to be. There was never a sense of identity. It felt like they were trying to be everything, and as a result, were nothing. Matt Eberflus isn’t going to make that mistake. His Bears offense will have a clear vision—a personality.
Once that is established, the rest will fall into place.
Fields will be the central focus of it all. Everything will be geared towards making him a success. It starts with teaching him how better to protect himself. That includes reading defenses pre-snap, adjusting line protections, and getting the ball out of his hands faster. That is Eberflus’ plan, and it’s hard to argue.
