Luke Getsy Found Brilliant Way To Connect Eberflus And Fields
Everybody had the same thought when Matt Eberflus took over as the new Chicago Bears head coach. What could he do for Justin Fields? Nobody disputed the 51-year-old was a top-notch defensive coordinator. His four-year run with the Indianapolis Colts was among the best in the NFL. Still, he had zero experience coaching quarterbacks. His entire brain was hardwired to make life difficult for them, not make them better. He was entering uncharted territory. That is why he hired Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator.
Eberflus knew the 37-year-old assistant understood quarterbacks well. He’d served as the Green Bay Packers passing game coordinator for three years and was an offensive coordinator at Mississippi State before that. His job would be to help Fields become the player he should be. However, Getsy knew another fundamental truth of success in the NFL. The best teams need a harmonious relationship between the quarterback and head coach. So he found a way to bring Eberflus and Fields together in a way that would help both the team and their personal connection.
Adam Jahns of The Athletic had the details.
In the spring, Getsy and Eberflus first discussed having Eberflus sit in the quarterbacks room for every meeting.
“Through my experiences, I just think it’s super important for the leader of the football team, which is usually your quarterback, to have a great relationship with the leader of the football team, the head coach,” Getsy said. “I just told (Eberflus), I think it’d be great if you could come in and not only come in, so that you’re a part of our relationship, but you can give us insight. When I’m up there talking about the way a defense reacts, you can correct it, you can add to it. And so, just that extra element of him being around has been really, really, really fun for us.”
Luke Getsy knew what he was talking about.
Everybody has said Eberflus provides a constant stream of valuable tips on what defenses are doing from snap to snap and how the offense can counter it. These are not benefits Fields enjoyed last season. It was already evident in August that those lessons helped pre- and post-snap. Based on clips from Bears videos on YouTube, the two are in constant communication. Eberflus asks questions and motivates. Fields gives answers and assurances.
They are on the same page. It is all about winning. As long as that common ground is kept, things should progress smoothly. Luke Getsy understands better than most the value of this relationship. He saw it fall apart in Green Bay when Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers developed animosity. Then he saw it flourish between Rodgers and Matt Lafleur. It was smart of him to get a head start on ensuring Eberflus and Fields were on the same page as quickly as possible. That will serve the Bears well down the line.