(670 The Score) Call it naivety, but generally speaking, I feel like NFL coaches understand football. I try to believe that when Bears quarterback Justin Fields lines up in shotgun on fourth-and-2-inches, that it is – like coach Matt Eberflus said after a 27-10 loss to the Packers on Sunday – because that's the best play the team had at the time. By the time they get to the NFL, most of them have been coaching pretty successfully for a while now, so there's no reason to believe that decisions like the one that led to a touchdown cost the Bears points on Sunday aren't based in some sort of sound football logic.
By all accounts, the Bears have seemed like a better-coached team since Eberflus took over, and truthfully I'm not sure anyone is all that surprised that they lost in humbling fashion on the road to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. It'd feel silly to sit here and make some sort of grand proclamation about what the Bears' coaching staff is or isn't doing right after two games, so I'll frame it as a polite request instead: Please let your franchise quarterback throw the football!
It's weird that Fields, who was 7-of-11 for 70 yards Sunday, has only completed 15 passes in two games. It's not a crisis or an indictment or probably even an appropriate sample size to write about, but it's weird. There were plenty of reasons to be pessimistic coming into the season, but the Bears looking like a third- or fourth-place team because their offensive game plan hasn't really included "throwing the football" yet is a bit of a curveball. The rain in Week 1 probably explains it best, but after an entire summer spent reading, at best, mixed reports about how well the passing game was coming together, it's hard not to notice the inauspicious start. It wasn't even totally for lack of trying Sunday either – more than half of Fields' attempts came in the first half, though that doesn't exactly look great when you come out of the locker room down three scores. To be overly simple for a moment: If you're not letting him just go out there and rip it in these moments, what exactly are we doing here?
There's certainly a results aspect to it – it's hard not to give running back David Montgomery the ball when he averages like 12 yards a carry and takes three guys along for the ride. Tight end Cole Kmet and No. 1 receiver Darnell Mooney just haven't been even close to being incorporated yet, which is definitely not all Fields' fault. It's also really hard to get anyone involved on 11 passes, so pointing blame anywhere on the field sometimes seems like a waste of time. I imagine that Fields will say something about wanting that missed go route to Mooney back when he talks Wednesday, but it's not like his record on deep ball accuracy needs to be defended. HITS is fun in its own way and the Peanut Punches are a nice little treat for Bears fans, but everyone gets their raises and promotions based on what Fields does over the next couple years. Taking such a seemingly restrained approach to that feels misguided?
Obviously this means that the Bears will come out next week against the Texans at home in not-apocalyptic weather and throw 45 times. Then the coaches and the players and the tweets will all take their victory laps about preaching patience and they'll all be absolutely right. There will be nakeds and boots and more flea-flickers and an appearance from receiver Byron Pringle. The Bears will look like they're progressing, and the sting of Rodgers' smug postgame interviews will slowly fade into Just Another Packers Loss while the focus turns forward.
But right now, the Bears are halfway to the first major checkpoint of the NFL season without any type of passing offense to show for it. Throwing the ball would probably help with that, at least a little.
Cam Ellis is a writer for 670 The Score and Audacy Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KingsleyEllis.
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