After getting Christmas Day off, Chicago Bears gamers have been again at Halas Hall on Monday to assessment their 35-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills and start preparations for Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Lions in Detroit.
Here are three issues we heard from coach Matt Eberflus and his gamers.
1. The Bears don’t intend to close down quarterback Justin Fields, Eberflus mentioned.
Fields is taking part in by an harm to his left shoulder, which he separated in November, and he mentioned he aggravated it in Saturday’s sport. He referred to as it a “nagging injury” that he should battle by within the final two video games.
Fields additionally mentioned his foot was stepped on within the fourth quarter, which brought about the Bears to place in backup Nathan Peterman for the ultimate drive.
But Eberflus mentioned Fields is “good to go” because the Bears put together for the Lions.
“He’s healthy,” Eberflus mentioned. “He’s ready to go for this week.”
Asked if the Bears thought of shutting Fields down for the ultimate two video games, Eberflus responded, “Absolutely not.”
Eberflus mentioned the Bears need to use the video games to get higher and to check themselves in opposition to division opponents, together with the 12-3 Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 8 at Soldier Field.
“We want to improve,” Eberflus mentioned. “We want to see where we are. These last two games matter. … (It’s) very important to our football team to see guys compete against our division. It’s important for each man, it’s important for each unit and it’s important for our whole football team.”
2. The Bears are regrouping after their second-worst speeding output of the season.
The Bears have relied on their working sport to gasoline the offense many of the season. But they’d simply 80 speeding yards in opposition to the Bills: 62 from David Montgomery, 7 from Khalil Herbert and a season-low 11 from Fields.
“They had a couple spies on (Fields) in the passing game, for sure,” Eberflus mentioned. “It may have been the place the defensive lineman was coming out of there, or it was one of many linebackers. Dropped a pair safeties in additionally to spy on him that method.
“It was overall a good plan, nothing out of the ordinary. I thought that (Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier) did what he normally does — played good, sound, fundamental, fast football.”
Fields averaged 1.57 yards in his seven makes an attempt. He would possibly be capable of regroup in opposition to the Lions, who allowed him to hurry for 147 yards on 13 carries of their Week 10 matchup.
“The biggest thing obviously I’m seeing is mesh charge,” left deal with Braxton Jones mentioned of the Bills’ plan. “So the D-ends are slanting inside and bringing the backer over high, however then they’re blitzing off of that as effectively. … They did get us on a few of these security pressures.
“And we’ve got to be a little bit better when we do have movement. It’s just stuff that we’re always going to see. We’ve just got to execute a little bit better.”
3. Eberflus has stayed related to his mentors as he tries to maintain perspective on a 3-12 season.
In his first season as a head coach, Eberflus mentioned he finds it essential to textual content or name mentors similar to Tony Dungy and Gary Pinkel to take heed to their knowledge.
The finest bit of recommendation he has gotten because the Bears rebuild? “Just stay the course.”
“You’re doing the right things,” Eberflus mentioned. “Your systems are sound and just stay the course. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Make sure the guys are doing the basics. Make sure they’re doing the rudiments of the game. Make sure they’re playing hard and just doing the fundamentals, the techniques the right way. You’re building a foundation … and that’s something you can stand on in the future.”
Eberflus was requested in regards to the Denver Broncos firing first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett on Monday after simply 15 video games and whether or not that offers him a better appreciation for what he has accomplished with the Bears — and the way tough it’s to achieve the NFL.
“I do have appreciation for our coaches that are on this Chicago Bears staff and the players,” he mentioned. “Because we’ve been focused and the morale’s been high the entire year. The guys have been going about their business, they’re playing hard, they’re playing physical and we’ve just got to do a better job of finishing the games and executing at those defining moments. But I am proud of those guys and how they’ve operated all year.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
