Great half, but Bears' Getsy says offense still has a long way to go

After a dominant first-half performance in which the Bears jetted out to a 21-0 lead over Cleveland on Saturday, quarterback Justin Fields felt confident enough to deem the game a "turning point" for the offense.

Luke Getsy's reaction to that proclamation?

Whoa. Let's pump the brakes a bit.

"A turning point?" the new Bears offensive coordinator asked during his media session at Halas Hall on Monday. "I mean, I don't know about that. ...

"We're in this phase of getting better and we're in this phase of developing who we want to become. Are we on track? I don't know, but I feel good about where we're at. ...

"Turning point seems like a pretty dramatic (statement), but I feel like we're grinding through this process the right way."

In other words, one step at a time. It's a bit too early to anoint Fields as the second coming of Donovan McNabb, Steve Young or Russell Wilson.

There's no doubt the offense performed at a high level against the Browns, but remember that Cleveland was playing without four significant starters. Does Fields (14-for-16, 156 yards, 3 TDs) have the same success if Jadeveon Clowney (9 sacks last season) and Myles Garrett (16 sacks) were there to wreak havoc?

Seems unlikely.

It was a much-needed reality check from Getsy, who understands the Bears must improve in myriad ways if they are to consistently put points up against top-tier defenses.

"There's a ton of improvement that we have to get better at if we're gonna play better talent (and) play (against) more looks," Getsy said.

In other words, how will Fields react to an eight-man front? How will the line adjust to a corner blitz? Or to two blitzing linebackers? Or to linebackers who appear to be blitzing but then back out?

Also, can Fields identify when it's man coverage vs. zone, then make the right read?

And, perhaps most important, is the O-line good enough to consistently open holes for David Montgomery and the RBs? Because without that, all the worries about Fields are practically moot.

So, what is Getsy most pleased with? Simple things like the play getting in on time, the poise at the line of scrimmage and the lack of penalties.

As Bears fans know, these are hardly trivial matters.

How many times have we seen wasted timeouts in the first half? Or a 5-yard illegal motion penalty after a timeout? Or wretched clock management? Or ridiculous and uncalled for 15-yard penalties?

The key, obviously, will be to keep it up when the games count.

The first test comes against San Francisco at Soldier Field on September 11.

That's when we'll know if all of this progress was real.

Or if it was a giant mirage.

"I believe we're in the process and I believe that we're all on track in the sense that I want to keep going," Getsy said. "But in the end, the only way (to know if it's working) is whether you win or lose."