The longer we get away from that era, the more Chicago Bears fans appreciate what Lovie Smith did as head coach. While the man did make some mistakes during his tenure with the organization, nobody can deny the truth. He was the most successful head coach they’d had since Mike Ditka back in the 1980s. Five winning seasons, three playoff appearances, and a Super Bowl berth. Firing him in 2013 always felt like a mistake, and time proved that correct. Now he’s back in charge of another team, this time with the Houston Texans. At the same time, Matt Eberflus is making his maiden voyage in Chicago.
If anybody knows how the 51-year old feels right now, it’s Smith. Like Eberflus, he took over a Bears team in 2004 that endured years of frustration after a promising 13-3 season in 2001. People were skeptical the mild-mannered defensive coordinator from St. Louis could handle the pressure cooker of coaching in Chicago. Yet he proved them wrong. From what he knows of Eberflus, Smith expects him to do the same.
The Bears got themselves another good one.
Good morning from the league meetings in Palm Beach. Asked Lovie Smith about Bears head coach Matt Eberflus: “They're getting a good, sound, fundamental football coach. … You look at what I think most fans are looking for in their head football coach: hard-nosed guy."
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) March 28, 2022
More Lovie on Eberflus: “He's a head coach basically based on what he's done on the defensive side of the football. I know the brand of defense he's gonna play. … He's a good, fundamentally-sound football coach, gonna do a great job."
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) March 28, 2022
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In a sense, Smith says that the Bears were more focused on substances than style this time around. That was the correct approach. They needed somebody ready and willing to break this team down and build them back up properly. That takes discipline and an ability to teach. Eberflus was known for those two things during his four-year run with the Indianapolis Colts.
Smith was the same way. When he took over in 2004, the Bears were a talented but undisciplined football team. He helped set a new standard built around high effort, intensity, and intelligence. Everybody attacks the football. No loafing allowed. If you were unwilling or unable to meet that standard, you had no place on the roster. Eberflus is going to do the same.
Matt Eberflus knows what he wants to do. And that matters.
Coming in with a plan is vital for any prospective head coach. He knows exactly the type of identity he wants to establish in Chicago. Eberflus wants a fast, physical, and turnover-minded football team. Force turnovers on defense and prevent them on offense. Most importantly, the schemes must be tailored to his players’ strengths. This was the problem Matt Nagy ran into during his time with the organization.
Smith understands what is to come with be a challenging process. It took him some time to get players to buy into his philosophy. The 2004 season was an ugly one marked by injuries and a lot of losing. The Bears finished 5-11. However, there were signs even that season that his approach was working. After a 1-5 start, the Bears won four of their next six. Guys were hustling and flying to the football. Quarterback issues eventually sank them down the stretch, though. Matt Eberflus might be able to avoid that problem.
He has Justin Fields.
The second-year QB is easily more talented than the collection of options Smith had like Rex Grossman, Craig Krenzel, Jonathan Quinn, or Chad Hutchinson. If the young QB embraces the mentality Eberflus is trying to instill, he might be able to succeed where others failed under Smith. That was always the missing element a decade ago.
