The Chicago Bears have trended in a positive direction as the season has gone on.
They have done enough for the leading rumors around quarterback Justin Fields and head coach Matt Eberflus to suggest both could return next season.
Rumor Mill Changes on Bears Ahead of Week 17 Tilt vs. Falcons
1) Justin Fields Making Ryan Poles? Job Tougher
?Huge two games for Justin Fields, no way around it. Because they have the No. 1 pick, at least slated to get the No. 1 pick via Carolina,? reported ESPN?s Jeremy Fowler on SportsCenter on December 30. ?Caleb Williams, all those other quarterbacks available, so many around the league believe Chicago will eventually draft one.
Williams has long been the consensus No. 1 overall pick. But the way he has handled some of the adversity of this past season at USC has soured some opinions. It?s also led to the annual questioning of the actual rankings.
North Carolina?s Drake Maye has even into the top slot in some spots.
?I was told that Fields has absolutely made Chicago?s decision in the draft difficult by his playmaking and how he?s done this year,? Fowler continued.
The Bears quarterback notably has a 9-27 record in his career.
But he is 3-1 in the last four games. That is despite a shuffling offensive line and a wide receiving corp that is thin outside of top option DJ Moore. It also faces questions with Darnell Mooney set for free agency.
Perhaps Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who understands the measures taken in stripping the roster last year, wants to see Fields with even more weapons and upgraded protection.
But Fields still has work to do.
?Needs to improve fourth-quarter passing. He?s struggled there all year,? Fowler said. ?This could be a chance over the last couple of weeks to do that.?
Fields has thrown three touchdowns to six interceptions and has also absorbed eight sacks in the fourth quarter of games this season. He has also thrown zero touchdowns to four interceptions when trailing in the final four minutes.
Still, Fields has shown progress this season and still has a firm grasp on the locker room.
2) Matt Eberflus Gets Strong Endorsement From NFL Insider
It is impossible to separate Fields? recent run of wins from his head coach, and Matt Eberflus? defense has turned into a top-5 unit this season.
?I would be surprised as of right now if Matt Eberflus was not back for the Chicago Bears,? NFL Network?s Ian Rapoport said on Around the NFL on December 30. ?They’ve looked much better… They certainly seem to be headed in the right direction… I hear nothing but positive vibes from Chicago.”
It?s important to note Rapoport?s framing of his opinion, basing it on his read from the outside, and not necessarily any direct information.
Still, the bond between players and coach is quite obvious in the way they often quote him.
3) ?Run The Damn Ball?
A hat was a popular piece of apparel in the locker room this week. Running back Khalil Herbert handed out hats that read ?Run The Damn Ball? to teammates. Several made it around the locker room with long snapper Patrick Mannely saying he didn?t know where they came from but that he liked it.
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson made sure to put his on before his media availability this week.
Ask around, though, and the story behind the hat?s emergence is equally as compelling, although for a wholly different reason.
Herbert, coming off his first 100-yard game since last season, has a friend who makes the hats, according to one of his teammates. That friend gave Herbert the hats and, the teammate says, Herbert distributed them around the locker room.
4) What?s In a Name
To the point of Eberflus? connection with players, nicknames were a popular topic at Halas Hall on Friday. They have really been an underlying theme all season. Eberflus said he gives everyone nicknames, and he even joked that he had names for Bears media members.
In the locker room, player take their names seriously.
Jaquan Brisker, aka the ?Mako Shark?, says Eberflus gave him his name because the animal?s aggressiveness is similar to Brisker on the field.
Kyler Gordon, aka ?Kyler-Man?, says it was Eberflus that started calling him that.
Jack Sanborn, aka the ?San Man?, said Eberflus generally does a good job with the nicknames. Sanborn also has the most nicknames in the locker room, according to one of his teammates.
There are players like Cole Kmet who entered the league with his nickname ? ?Comet?.
We?ve also heard of the ?Tez Factor,? though that refers more to the impact Montez Sweat has than his nickname.
But Eberflus has dished out more than his fair share to veterans like ?The Hitman? for T.J. Edwards or ?The Dragon Slayer? for Johnson to ?Dino Dex? and ?Ice Pickens? for rookies Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens. There’s a “Juggernaut” (Andrew Billings), a “Big Dog” (Marcedes Lewis), and two Wolverines (Moore and Darnell Wright).
Time will tell if keeping Eberflus is the right decision or if that is even the way things shake out. But he has certainly found a way to connect on some level with his players.