Amid his second season with the Bears, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has seen his partnership with quarterback Justin Fields strengthen.
While the offensive results through two weeks of the season haven't been what the unit has been hoping for, Getsy believes the adversity is something he and Fields can navigate and correct together.
"We're going to continue to grind through that," Getsy said. "We believe in the process that we're going through. Justin believes in the process we're going through. We're going to keep working and sticking together. It's going to keep getting better, as it has. I know the result isn't what we all want. I get that. That sometimes puts added pressure on people. We believe in it and we're going to stick to it, and that's what we've talked about as an offensive unit."
After reviewing the film from last Sunday's game, Fields took accountability for the offensive struggles and discussed how he can better utilize his natural talent and instincts to make more plays.
Getsy said coach Matt Eberflus repeatedly talks about "the four to six plays that could change a game each week." When reflecting on some missed opportunities in Tampa, Getsy added Fields felt that, "Man, I could be that difference."
"I think as we talk about his evolution, he's becoming an NFL quarterback," Getsy said, "and I think that part of it, that experience and that style of play … there's a few plays in the game that he wishes he had different reactions. He refers to them as instincts, let his instincts take over, right? And that is real. That is what he has – special talent. He has special instincts."
One play Getsy used as an example was when Fields was sacked in the second quarter after looking downfield for receiver Darnell Mooney, who, according to Getsy, "got disrupted because he was pressed."
Getsy pointed out that receiver DJ Moore was clapping to indicate he was open, but Fields wanted to give Mooney "an extra hitch and it ended up taking a little too long."
"You give him a hitch, you think he's gonna win, you maybe give him one more then it's time to move on," Getsy said. "And whether that's moving on in your progression or whether that's moving on with your feet, protection was pretty good until he took a few too many hitches.
"Those are the types of plays that we've got to continue to get better at. We work on 'em every single day here. We're working on pocket presence. We're working on those situations, when it's time to go and when it's time to progress. That's the evolution of a quarterback."
Getsy said he and the offensive coaching staff will continue to work on giving Fields opportunities to be a playmaker and "make him feel like he's comfortable in doing that."
Even through the first two weeks of the season, Getsy is seeing more connections between Fields and the "new group of guys" on the roster this year.
As the Bears look to get back on track, Getsy feels his established relationship with Fields and the unit's confidence will allow the Bears to progress.
"I think your job as a coach is to connect to your players on a deeper level than anything that everybody in this room would know about," Getsy said. "Relationship is the key to success. I think if you establish that at the beginning and let that trust grow, then times that appear to be chaotic to you aren't really chaotic to us.
"And I think there's a belief. There's a belief in the process and the philosophy and what coach Flus is trying to get done, what [general manager] Ryan [Poles] is trying to get done, what we're trying to get done on offense. There is a confidence in that room that, I guess to your world would be [shocking]. And we believe in it, and we stick together and there's a brotherhood that we trust more than anything else."
