It’s been a disastrous start to the 2023 NFL season for the Chicago Bears and quarterback Justin Fields.
The Bears are staring down an 0-3 record — and have lost 13 straight dating back to last season — and Fields has regressed in Year 3, when many expected him to take a huge step forward.
Despite some deflating, double-digit losses, head coach Matt Eberflus believes the team is nearing a breakthrough.
“I do. I think we’re real close. I really do,” Eberflus said Monday. “I know a lot of people say it’s a far way away. I don’t believe that. I think we’re close. I think it’s more about the details of the individual person. If we just keep doing that right, right things are going to happen.”
Chicago reached a new low last Sunday, when they were humiliated in a 41-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Fields completed 11-of-22 passes for 99 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Despite the continued struggles by the offense, Eberflus believes the team is close to unlocking Fields and the offense.
“Yeah, he’s been doing it, right?” Eberflus said when asked what Fields has to focus on doing better in games. “He’s been doing it in terms of the work and now we’re going to see the fruits of the labor. He’s just got to keep doing the things – the platform, the rhythm and timing, the things we’ve been discussing. I thought we did a good job of moving him out of the pocket yesterday. Had a couple quarterback designed runs, couple run-pass options, took those shots down the field. I thought those were really good. We got to capitalize on those. He did some things in Sunday’s game, OK, that looked how we wanted it to look. It’s getting better.”
If there’s an opportunity for Fields and the Bears to finally get on track, it’s against the winless Denver Broncos, who roll into Soldier Field with one of the league’s worst defenses.