Ryan Poles understands where Justin Fields is coming from amid the Bears' sluggish 0-2 start.
On Wednesday, Fields explained the reasons for his early-season struggles. Fields blamed himself for overthinking and trying to be too perfect, but he also noted the coaching staff's plan isn't utilizing what makes him special. Fields later clarified that he takes all the blame for his struggles but wanted to be detailed in his explanation.
Fields noted that he talked with head coach Matt Eberflus about how he feels and wants to play freely and instinctually. Fields said Eberflus was "receptive" but wouldn't divulge the details.
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On Thursday, Poles addressed the storm of adversity the Bears are facing, including giving Fields his full support.
"I can't be more clear than this: No one in our entire building, none of our coaches see Justin as a finger pointer at all," Poles said. "That kid is always taking ownership of anything that has happened on the field. He takes it head-on. He works, he grinds, he puts his head down, he works with his teammates, he works with his coaches to find solutions. You know, really, everything is trying to figure out what's going on. In my opinion, you got a young quarterback trying to figure it out. You have a guy who hasn't had the cleanest start to his career who last year, you know, with the roster, had to put the team on his back, do some unbelievable things athletically.
"Now, he gets talent around him and has to figure out and balance when to do those cool things athletically, when to lean on others, and that is sometimes a gray place to live in. That takes time. That takes time on task for him to take that next step, and everyone is on board helping him get into that place for him to be successful."
Poles noted that Fields' statements surprised no one inside the building. The coaches and players know things aren't going well, and it's up to all of them to make the necessary adjustments.
Bears Analysis
When it comes to Fields and the Bears' staff, it's up to all parties to find a way to put the 24-year-old quarterback in a position to succeed and play the way everyone knows he can.
"When I listen to him and that whole deal, like, the majority of it was like, ‘Alright, I’ve gotta create this clarity, I’ve gotta get better.’ I thought he took ownership of everything," Poles said. "He didn’t have to say anything about that. Our coaches are like, ‘How can we make you better? How can we help you be successful?’ And there’s always that balance. No one took it personally. We all know we have a hand in our success and we want him to be successful and it takes everyone for him to be successful, including himself. I kinda thought he hit on all of that. It was no shock to anyone.”
Poles said he believed that the Bears saw Fields put things together early in training camp, but he is still trying to balance his elite athleticism with using the players around him. Poles noted the lack of preseason reps -- due to offensive line injuries -- played a role since Fields didn't face a pass rush outside of his minimal snaps in the preseason.
"So then we move to the regular season and some of these live reps are happening now and we have to build through that for him to take the next step," Poles said. "So it’s a work in progress, but I think it’s really a time on task to get used to this new setup that he has and balancing when to do the athletic thing and when to use his arm and lean on other people.”
Sitting at 0-2 and with the Kansas City Chiefs on deck, the Bears must find a way to get things in gear as soon as possible—the quickest way to do that is to let Justin Fields be Justin Fields.
Everyone seems to be on the same page with that.