Luke Getsy didn’t have to come to Chicago. He had a pretty cushy position with the Green Bay Packers as their passing game coordinator. However, the young coach sensed an opportunity with the Bears. He’d be able to call his own plays and have the chance to develop a talented young quarterback in Justin Fields. If he’s successful, it won’t be long before he’s running his own NFL team.
Matt Eberflus wanted him as the offensive coordinator for a few reasons. One was his innovative reputation, and another was his teaching skills. Several players have lauded the 37-year-old for his communication ability and detailed approach. That was apparently on display in the team’s first practice of voluntary minicamps. While the Bears offense and defense did not work against each other, Getsy still found ways to keep his new quarterback on his toes as he learned the new offense. Nicholas Moreano of CHGO offered some notes.
“Whether Fields was making a handoff, completing a rollout (which there were plenty of and even offensive coordinator Luke Getsy got involved by rushing Fields once the quarterback turned to find his target) or throwing a pass, Janocko always came up to Fields and talked to him about the rep.
It’s evident everything will be under a microscope, and that is exactly what Fields needs to help him become a more improved quarterback in Year 2.”
One of the hardest things for a quarterback to get used to in the NFL is making split decisions under pressure. Young guys like Fields too often start scrambling or take a bad sack. Such drills are designed to help them learn how to evade pressure and make a throw under duress. The idea is to trust their feet, constantly adjusting and readjusting without losing control. Here is an example from Tom Brady in New England.
Part of handling pressure in the NFL is instincts, and this drill is a great way to hone them. By having the quarterback deal with this in practice every day, his reflexes should sharpen. Then when the time for actual games comes around, he’s much better prepared. Fields didn’t trust his feet enough last year, and it showed. Getsy is trying to correct that problem from the jump.
Whatever it was Matt Nagy tried to do was a massive failure. The new Bears offensive coordinator had to start from scratch. He already had Fields switch from having his right foot forward before snaps to his left foot. The goal here is to be quicker and more efficient in his drops. Everything is about speeding up the process. Doing that enables a quarterback to get the ball out faster. Getting the ball out faster leads to fewer hits, and fewer hits leads to fewer injuries.
That is why the great ones like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are still in the league. It isn’t because they’re the toughest of the tough. They know how to get the ball out faster than the pass rusher can get to them. Fields isn’t there yet. He still has a bad tendency to hold the ball, waiting for big-play opportunities. Luke Getsy knows his first job is to protect his quarterback, and the best way to do that is by teaching Fields to protect himself.
If the young QB is as smart as everybody believes he is, it won’t take long for him to catch on. He was already showing signs of progress last season despite a myriad of problems with the offense. In a more stable system under the watchful gaze of Getsy, he has a chance to flourish.
