5 areas Chicago Bears HC Matt Eberflus wants to see Justin Fields emphasize
The Chicago Bears wrapped up their offseason programs, which means the team has a six-week break, and then gets ready for the 2023 season with training camp. This is a good time for the players to unwind, relax, and get their bodies right for the grind of the long season.
Chicago Bears want to see Justin Fields progress
While there will be time for relaxing, the Bears also gave homework. OTAs is good to get the players in and see where they are. Now, the coaches set expectations for what they expect to see when they return. For Justin Fields, Matt Eberflus shared precisely where he wants to see him show up to camp better.
2) As Fields motors into "summer break," Matt Eberflus listed five things he is emphasizing with the QB to continue his growth. Footwork. Platform. Timing. Release. Reads.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) June 15, 2023
These are all notable and specific things, and all of them are fair based on his last season. His footwork in the pocket could lead to inaccuracies, and even Justin Fields says he feels his footwork is in a better spot. This shows he is working on this area, but Eberflus wants to see the growth of working for six more weeks on his own.
The platform is interesting and goes with his footwork as well. This speaks to keeping his feet grounded, or being able to re-set his feet, even when he is on the run or making plays out of the structure.
The timing is one of the most important and goes into the reads and releases. If he is reading things right pre-snap, and diagnosing what he sees post-snap, and his release gets tighter, everything will be on-time.
More than that Matt Eberflus has also talked about Justin Fields playing on schedule. This means saving hero ball for third down because while big plays can come, they can also lead to plays that take them out of the flow of their offense. If Fields can play within the structure of the offense with better timing on first and second down, it will make his playmaker ways even more impressive on third down.
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Whatever you think, this is refreshing to see. Matt Eberflus is open and honest about what he wants to see, and now he has given fans specific things to look for in training camp and the preseason. That is a better answer than the typical generic discussions from coaches.