3. Continuity and belief within team's stars
Finally, there is something to be said about a coach that not only has a positive relationship with his star players, but truly believes in their talent. Following D.J. Moore's big game against the Falcons, Eberflus had this to say:
"What I recognize watching the tape is how strong he is. His contact balance is unbelievable. What you recognize from that tape is his ability to track the football. You see some of the those catches over the shoulder. We all rewatched them. It's just pretty amazing how he can track that football, especially in the snow. I had a hard time seeing it. I had my gameplan up, the snow was coming down, I could barely see the field. Not sure how he tracked the ball during that weather, but man, it's something else and he's a special guy."
And of course, the head coach had to show some love to his quarterback, Justin Fields.
Eberflus praised his quarterback after the win against Atlanta:
"He's been more consistent. We like what he's done the last six games in terms of the turnovers, the sacks, touchdowns, taking care of the football, throwing the ball down the field," he told the media (via team official website).
As for some of the major critiques on Fields and his throwing ability, Eberflus sees what some might not, and he believes in the young quarterback:
"He continues to throw the ball down the field with accuracy, which is really cool. He's done that his whole career, we're just taking more shots now."
Rather than starting over with a brand-new quarterback and facing a reality where the team would have to buy in and trust another leader under center, it's important to note how much Eberflus believes in Fields and his top target in Moore.
This offseason is going to be a big one, but there's something to be said about continuity, especially when things are trending in the right direction.