Matt Eberflus Reveals The Play That Convinced Him Fields Is Legit

Matt Eberflus knew what his primary job was in 2022. He had to figure out if Justin Fields could be the quarterback of the future for the Chicago Bears. It wouldn't be easy. The offense lacked overall talent. They were starting over in a brand new scheme. There would be bumps in the road. How Fields responded to them would go a long way in determining his future. The head coach was never bored. His young QB had ups and downs, but the ups involved some of the best highlights a quarterback can produce. It would be hard to pinpoint a favorite play.

However, Eberflus knew it was his job to notice the subtler details. Highlights are great, but how the quarterback operates within the system often tells where his development is. For months the Bears coach wasn't sure if his QB was progressing enough as a passer. His arm talent was indisputable, but he still struggled with processing and throwing the ball on time. According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, that changed last month when Eberflus saw one play unfold at Soldier Field.

He broke down what it was.

It was third-and-10 against the vaunted Eagles, who’d won four straight, and after rookie tackle Braxton Jones had taken a false start to knock Chicago off schedule on the game’s third play from scrimmage. The ball was snapped to Justin Fields in the shotgun. Fields took a short drop, hit his plant foot and spun one on time to receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, over the middle, and St. Brown turned upfield for a 20-yard gain.

“He did a great job of just dropping back, hitting his back foot and hitting EQ on an in-cut,” said Eberflus from his office Saturday. “It was a beautiful pass to keep the drive alive. Obviously, we’ve done a really good job of scoring on first drives—we’re like tops in the league at scoring on our first drives of the game. And that was a big play for him. You can certainly see the growth in him. The rhythm and timing of that play was awesome.”

The overriding message of the play? This is going to get easier for Fields. And when it does, look out.

Matt Eberflus now knows Fields can do it.

The challenge is helping to make plays like that possible more often. Two things stood out. The initial protection was good, and the wide receiver immediately won off the line of scrimmage. That didn't happen nearly often enough throughout 2022. It is why those two position groups consistently rank at the top of the off-season needs list. A quarterback is only as good as his supporting cast. That will be the job of GM Ryan Poles over the next few months. Until then, Fields can get healthy and continue immersing himself in the offense. This will mark the first time since 2020 that he played in the same offense for a second year.

Everything points to the Bears organization riding it out with him. It sounds like Matt Eberflus is entirely behind his quarterback. Yes, there are lingering questions. That is unavoidable. What matters is doing something about them. Progress was made. Nobody can dispute that. The next step is correcting the remaining flaws. That is how player development goes. Sometimes it's a longer process than others. What matters is if the team is willing to see it through. Fields is worth the effort.