Two days earlier than his preseason debut as an NFL head coach, Matt Eberflus talked in regards to the two views he should preserve as he begins his quest to show across the Chicago Bears.
The telescope view, he stated, is about the place the Bears are headed long run. Saturday’s preseason recreation in opposition to the Kansas City Chiefs is in regards to the microscope view as Eberflus, his employees and his models work out the kinks of working collectively in a recreation setting for the primary time.
“I’m just focusing on having good game-day operation, working on the scheme, evaluating the personnel for this first game,” Eberflus stated. “That’s the way you function best. You’ve got to be in the moment. You’ve got to be right here, right now.”
The starting of the Eberflus period is among the 4 greatest storylines because the Bears kick off their 2022 preseason at midday at Soldier Field.
A 30-year teaching veteran, Eberflus has been making ready for the second for his whole working life. But he kicked up his game-management coaching in January with Bears director of analysis and evaluation Harrison Freid.
Eberflus stated that they had 15-20 video periods to arrange for numerous recreation conditions — operating via end-of-game, end-of-half and problem eventualities, amongst others. He additionally had video periods with the coordinators to work out their communication for conditions, has consulted with NFL officers for guidelines training and ran via recreation eventualities Tuesday at Family Fest at Soldier Field.
So Eberflus he stated he feels “very prepared” to deal with his debut.
“You’ve got to be fast-minded,” Eberflus stated. “You’ve got to be quick. … You’ve got to know what you’re doing a play ahead.”
2. A brand new starting
Eberflus didn’t reveal his actual plan for second-year quarterback Justin Fields on Saturday, however he stated many starters would get between 15-20 performs. The quantity depends on the participant, and a few starters will sit out.
The Bears are lacking a number of key gamers due to harm, together with operating again David Montgomery and tight finish Cole Kmet, each of whom Eberflus stated would seemingly sit out. And Eberflus stated the Bears are going to be “basic and simple with our schemes during the preseason.”
But there’s nonetheless intrigue to get a primary in-game have a look at Fields as he begins his operation underneath new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who stated his objectives for Fields can be “process-oriented.”
“It’s going up and making sure you have a process when you break the huddle,” Getsy stated. “You’ve got to go through that process to be disciplined to that process. Train your eyes. And then each play tells you to do something. Your eyes are supposed to go somewhere with each play. And so we’re getting better every single day, and I want to see him go execute that. We start everything with taking care of the football, and that’s got to be the priority.”
Getsy additionally will get a greater have a look at an offensive line that has gone via many iterations already in camp. Most lately, lots of the first-team reps have gone to, from left to proper, Braxton Jones, Cody Whitehair, Sam Mustipher, Michael Schofield and Riley Reiff.
For Jones, a fifth-round select of Southern Utah this spring, it is going to be a “pretty big moment” however one he has ready for over the past two weeks by battling defensive finish Robert Quinn in follow.
“That has gotten me into the feeling of like, ‘OK, let’s go, we’ve got to do this,’ ” Jones stated. “Taking those reps against big-time players has helped me a little bit to get ready for working with the ones.”
3. Catching up
One of the highlights of Thursday’s follow was Fields’ landing cross to Tajae Sharpe within the nook of the tip zone. Sharpe, who made 117 catches for 1,397 yards and eight touchdowns over 5 NFL seasons with three groups, may get extra alternatives to show himself Saturday within the broad receivers’ race for a roster spot.
The Bears will probably be with out N’Keal Harry (ankle), Byron Pringle (quad) and David Moore (decrease leg) and in addition may sit Velus Jones Jr., who’s each day with an undisclosed harm. That leaves a primary opening for a few of the receivers down the roster — beneath Darnell Mooney and Equanimeous St. Brown — to attract consideration.
Will it’s Sharpe, Isaiah Coulter, Dante Pettis, Nsimba Webster, Dazz Newsome, Chris Finke or Kevin Shaa who comes via? At follow Wednesday, it was Coulter making large performs.
“He’s balling out,” Mooney stated of Coulter. “He’s always been doing his thing, extra after practice, and he comes to the house with me to catch jugs. … He’s a ball player for sure.”
Eberflus was inspired with how Fields has related with a few of the backup receivers this week in follow because the Bears cope with the rash of accidents.
“His timing is getting better, and for him, that’s really good because how do you get the timing down with different receivers?” Eberflus stated. “We’re excited where he is on that front, for sure.”
4. Nagy’s return
Matt Nagy stated he doesn’t know the way he’ll really feel when he returns to Soldier Field to educate for the primary time because the Bears fired him in January after 4 seasons as head coach.
In a session with reporters in Missouri this week, Nagy, who’s a Chiefs senior offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach for Patrick Mahomes, stated he went via a “normal” grieving course of after departing from the Bears with a 34-31 report, together with 6-11 in 2021, and two playoff losses. He stated he had loads of time within the offseason to look at how his tenure unfolded.
“I’d change a lot of what happened, wishing we’d won more and could have done more,” Nagy stated. “But I learned a lot, and that part I wouldn’t change. I have to be able to self-reflect on where I went wrong and how I could have been better.”
Nagy stated he’ll at all times worth the relationships he developed throughout his time with the Bears, together with with Virginia and George McCaskey, Ted Phillips and Ryan Pace.
“It didn’t end how we wanted it to,” Nagy stated. “There was disappointment. There was discouragement. But all that said, I know I’m not defeated. I know those other players, coaches and people aren’t defeated. And so we’ve just got to be better from it.”
Now Nagy is again working with Mahomes, whom he coached within the quarterback’s rookie season on the bench in Kansas City, Mo., in 2017. Nagy stated it’s “so neat” to see how a lot Mahomes has grown as a pacesetter since then, and he’s clearly joyful to work with him once more.
“This is the next journey for me,” Nagy stated. “Next chapter.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com