LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — With the Bears riding a franchise-worst 13-game losing streak, quarterback Justin Fields appears buried by the burden on his shoulders and distraught over both his failure to showcase progress and the team's 0-3 start.
As Fields manages the pressure of his position, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and the Bears continue to back their quarterback at every turn.
"Justin has a tremendous amount of confidence,” Getsy said Thursday. “There’s a lot of moving parts when you’re playing on offense. It’s 11 as one, and right now we’re not clicking as 11 as one. I know it’s easy to pinpoint it on one person, but it’s not. So, we got to make sure that we go out and we get that synchronized a little bit better, and we’ll go get some points."
Last week, Fields created headlines after he cited "coaching" as part of the reason for why he was overthinking on the field. The Bears then endured an ugly 41-10 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, where Fields went 11-of-22 for 99 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Fields has completed 58% of his passes for 526 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions this season. The Bears’ offense ranks 27th in scoring and 29th in yardage through three games. In its loss Sunday, Chicago managed just 203 yards on 51 plays.
“There were probably seven or eight plays that we felt like should have been explosive plays and for whatever it was, just the lack of execution and a lack of particular detail to a number of different situations that were different parts of it,” Getsy said of his team's poor offense in the loss to the Chiefs.
“Backs, O-line, tight ends, quarterback, receivers, all parts of that. I mean, we had a few of those. When I say that number seven or eight-ish, we felt like the execution on a typical basis in practice, as you're going into it, you're excited about those opportunities. We didn't seize them."
The No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields has faced heightened expectations in his third NFL season. He was expected to make a jump individually while working alongside Getsy and head coach Matt Eberflus for a second year. The Bears bolstered their supporting cast around Fields, most notably with the acquisition of top receiver DJ Moore. Fields is eligible for a contract extension after this season, when Chicago must also determine whether to tender his fifth-year option for the 2025 season.
Through three games, Fields is struggling and appears frustrated.
“I just know all the adversity I go through is going to make me stronger as a person and as a player,” Fields said Wednesday. “So, I just got to look at the bright side of things and think of yourself as going through adversity for a reason.”
The Bears host the Broncos (0-3) on Sunday at Soldier Field in a battle of desperate, winless teams. Denver surrendered 70 points in a 50-point loss at Miami last Sunday.
Getsy is hopeful that Fields and this Bears can respond this Sunday and get their offense on track.
"He’s doing a really nice job in the midst of a lot of (stuff) right now going on, that he’s being manning up and taking a leadership role for these guys,” Getsy said of Fields. “So, it’s been good to see him be able to put it on his shoulders and be the guy that wants to help make this thing get right.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.