Matt Eberflus knew what his primary job would be from the moment he took over as Chicago Bears head coach. Sure his job is to win games and turn the entire team around, but everybody would be watching how he handled the development of Justin Fields. There were plenty of skeptics considering his defensive background. Eberflus had a plan, though. That involved luring Luke Getsy down from Green Bay to become the Bears’ new offensive coordinator.
Eberflus had become aware of Getsy years ago, impressed with what he’d both seen and heard. He felt the 37-year-old had the innovativeness, teaching ability, and right background necessary to get the offense on track. The first order of business for Getsy was simple. That was to rebuild Fields from the ground up. From the feet to the throwing motion, all of his mechanics needed to be fixed. Then it was a matter of training him to trust his footwork in the pocket and learning how to process more quickly with his eyes.
The Bears offered a glimpse of that process during their latest episode of 1920 Football Drive. In it, you can see how on top of the little things Getsy and his staff are.
Everything is noteworthy from that.
Notice how Fields is holding the ball with both hands. No doubt that was an instruction in order to help reduce his fumbling issues from last season. Then the passing drill was an apparent effort to help speed up his processing and decision-making. His throwing motion also looked quicker and more compact. Every detail matters. The faster he can get the ball out, the fewer hits he’ll take, and the better the offense will function. This is the first goal for Luke Getsy in his efforts to elevate Fields.
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Early signs are promising. After a shaky start in minicamps earlier this month, rumors out of OTAs are that the 23-year-old has taken some significant steps forward in his execution. His confidence is growing too. That should continue as he stacks practices in the coming weeks. By the time training camp rolls around, he’ll be ready to take on the defense in live drills.
