4 October 2023
Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, quarterback Justin Fields and others spoke to reporters Tuesday at Halas Hall as the Bears get ready for Thursday’s game against the Washington Commanders.
Here are five things we learned.
1. Justin Fields and the offense are feeling more confident after their Week 4 showing.
The Bears offense looked the best it has all season for most of Sunday’s 31-28 loss to the Denver Broncos, and despite the fourth-quarter collapse, quarterback Justin Fields feels like that play has given them a boost in the short week.
“We took a step in the right direction as an offense,” Fields said. “We know we still have some things to work on, but we took a step in finding who we are as an offense, our identity and just really going out there and playing football. Everybody definitely took a step and is more confident going into this week.”
Fields threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns, and while he said he takes pride in putting up those numbers, “the main thing is you want to win.” Fields had two fourth-quarter turnovers to contribute to the Broncos win.
“To be honest, I’d rather throw for 50 yards with three picks and we still win the game than what happened this past Sunday,” Fields said. “At this point, winning is just the No. 1 thing on my mind, so I’d rather do that than accomplish any individual goal or individual statistic that there is. I’m just trying to get a dub.”
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy echoed that sentiment: “There’s only one stat that really matters to both Justin and I, and we didn’t get that one done.”
2. Luke Getsy believes his fourth-and-1 play call was the right one.
Just like Bears coach Matt Eberflus didn’t second-guess his own decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the Broncos 18-yard line with the game tied at 28-28 in the final three minutes Sunday, Getsy wasn’t second-guessing the play call.
Fields took the shotgun snap and handed off to Khalil Herbert on a read-option play, but Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton got through a hole inside right tackle Darnell Wright to make the stop.
Getsy said that was the third or fourth time the Bears ran a similar play. He said it was the “right call” and Fields made the “right decision.”
“The execution, the alignments, the angles, everything was exactly the way we wanted it,” Getsy said. ”It’s the play that when you have the defensive line the way that they were aligned and we knew what the structure was going to be like, we wanted that run scheme. It still takes us doing the job, and we didn’t necessarily do the job to get that one done.”
3. Fields said the situation with wide receiver Chase Claypool ‘sucks.’
The Bears will play without wide receiver Chase Claypool for a second straight game after the team asked him to stay home from Halas Hall this week amid multiple concerns, including how he practiced and approached meetings. Claypool also told reporters last week he didn’t believe coaches were using him in the right way to showcase his talents, a comment of which Fields said, “I know that if he could take it back he definitely would.”
Fields said Claypool missing another week “sucks, but at the end of the day, you can’t control it.”
“You’ve got to go out there with guys that we have and execute like we did this past Sunday,” Fields said. “I think he knows that he kind of messed up by saying that, but I wish him nothing but the best. He’s a talented player and he’s a great person, has a good heart and works really hard. I’m definitely going to be staying in touch with him regardless of what happens and wish him nothing but the best.”
Claypool’s absence is just the latest of multiple off-the-field distractions at Halas Hall through four weeks. But Fields said he doesn’t “think it’s as challenging as it may seem from the outside” to deal with those distractions.
“Guys in here have done a good job managing and blocking out the outside noise, so that’s kind of been good to see,” he said. “We just try to focus on what we can control. … As much as the media thinks it affects us, I know the guys in here are solid. They bring the same mentality each and every day to work, so I’m definitely proud of those guys the way they’ve handled everything and the way they work through everything.”
4. Getsy left open the possibility of left guard Teven Jenkins returning to game action this week.
The Bears designated left guard Teven Jenkins, who was out with a calf injury, to return from injured reserve Monday. Given the short practice week before the Commanders game on Thursday, his game status seems questionable.
But Getsy said he “would assume (Jenkins) has a legitimate chance” to play Thursday.
“He’s not one of the new guys, so that should comfort him a little bit more,” Getsy said of Jenkins getting ready to play. “We got some good work in through camp with him on the left side. We’re excited to see him go. … We’ll see how the next day or two goes and then we’ll just take it from there.”
5. The Bears signed safety Duron Harmon from the Baltimore Ravens practice squad.
Harmon, 32, is an 11th-year NFL veteran who has started 78 games and played in 161 in his career. After seven seasons in New England, he was a starter for the Detroit Lions, the Atlanta Falcons and the Las Vegas Raiders the last three years.
The Bears have played the last two games without safety Eddie Jackson, who has a foot injury.
Jackson did not practice Tuesday, and neither did cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who has a hamstring injury.
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