It's Not All Pats on the Back for Justin Fields

What Justin Fields wants to work to improve might not always rate right where coach Matt Eberflus ranks it, although usually they jibe.

For example, on Wednesday Fields was asked what his improvement priorities are after the win.

"One thing I wanna work on is getting more checkdowns, like I've always said," Fields said, referring to throws made to receivers in shorter routes if his chief target is covered. "That's one thing I'm going to continue to work on."

Eberflus has a more basic and probably important thing to be targeted, although he didn't want to name Fields specifically as one who must do it.

"I'll just make a generalized statement that ball security is No. 1," Eberflus said. "It's important that everybody who handles the ball does a good job with the ball."

Last game the Bears had five fumbles and recovered all of them. Fields had four of those, so it's not much of a stretch to assume Eberflus' generalization was aimed specifically at Fields.

The only other person to fumble was punt returner Dante Pettis with a muff, but he picked it up immediately.

"It's been brought to everybody's attention that we did have those–I think it was maybe four or five of them in the game," Eberflus said. "And we've just got to work to improve that."

The weather Monday night was drizzly with some fog but Eberflus said this isn't an acceptable excuse.

"It's never an excuse," he said. "The ball is the ball and it's the most important thing.

"The weather's gonna be what it is, the same for both sides. We gotta make sure we figure it out."

Fields is currently tied for the NFL lead with 11 fumbles, although only one has been lost by the Bears.

Last year he had 12 for the entire season and the Bears lost five of them.

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