Justin Fields didn't mince words about his performance in last Sunday's win over the Texans, telling reporters after the game that he "played like trash."
Fast forward to Wednesday and the Bears, along with their second-year quarterback, are focused solely on building on his positives and correcting his mistakes. Fields completed 8 of 17 passes for 106 yards with two interceptions and a 27.7 passer rating and was sacked five times while also rushing for 47 yards on eight carries in a 23-20 victory at Soldier Field.
"I just think that with any player, you want to really highlight the positives, then going forward to your next performance," said coach Matt Eberflus. "Whenever you have a performance that you're not proud of, you can sit there and dwell on the negative the whole time. [But] that's not going to do you no good. Let's focus on the positives. Let's focus on the corrections and have our eyes forward into the next week and how I can improve."
Fields conceded that it was frustrating for him to watch tape of the Texans game. But as he looks to rebound Sunday when the Bears visit the Giants, he's determined to learn from his mistakes.
"When you don't have a game that you want to play as well in," he said, "all I really know, my response to that is get back to work and keep working."
It's the same way that Fields has dealt with adversity in the past.
"I've had bad games before," he said. "This isn't my first bad game I've ever had. Just looking at the past, [I ask]: 'What can you do to get better? What can you do to improve?'"
Asked about Fields' demeanor this week, Eberflus said: "It's been great. It's been really good. He's soaking everything in, learning from his experiences from the moments that he's in there, the things he did well in the game and the things he needs to improve."
On Monday, Eberflus revealed that Fields would spend the week in practice working on his footwork and timing in terms of when he releases the ball. The focus is also on eliminating interceptions like the two he threw versus the Texans, both on overthrown passes down the middle of the field.
Fields appreciates how coaches work with players to make corrections.
"They're really positive, just try to keep everybody on a positive page, learning from our mistakes," Fields said. "It's life. It's football. You're going to make mistakes, you're not going to be perfect. Just learning from your mistakes and making sure it doesn't happen again."
One issue with the pass game has been the inability to get the ball to No. 1 receiver Darnell Mooney, who has just four catches for 27 yards through the first three games of the season. Fields and Mooney developed a bond last year and then worked out together during the offseason in Atlanta.
"We still have the connection, [but] we're not going to force it," Fields said. "I feel like I was staring him down a few too many times in the game. He probably told me that, too: 'Bro, don't try to force anything; just let it all come.' That's what we're going to do. When the time comes, that time will come."
