The first impressions of Matt Eberflus to the Chicago Bears fans and media were mixed. A lot of people came away unimpressed. They felt like the man came across way too much as just an old school coach. Somebody committed to the outdated Cover 2 defensive style and extolling the virtues of his H.I.T.S philosophy. That hustle, intensity, takeaways, and smarts will solve everything. That might’ve worked back in the 1970s, but it is a different league now. The best coaches are always on top of trends. They operate almost scientifically, remaining a step ahead of others.
This is where those people might be falling into a trap. Matt Bowen of ESPN is one of the most renowned film specialists in the industry. He has studied Eberflus a lot going back several years. When talking to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, he made one thing clear. This is not a coach stuck in the past like many keep assuming. Eberflus has his philosophies, but the man is far craftier than he gets credit for.
Perhaps his greatest strength is his ability to adapt constantly.
“There is a misconception about his defense,” Bowen said. “Kind of pegged as a Cover-2, zone-heavy defense, keep the ball in front of you and play top down. Do they still play some Cover-2? Sure. He’s adapted tremendously based on the tape I have watched over the last two seasons. Much more multiple in terms of their fronts and alignment. He will scheme pressures. He will mug up his linebackers to try to create matchup advantages from a pass-rush perspective and also to make the quarterback work post-snap.”
“A lot of late rotation from that second level to get underneath zone droppers into throwing lanes. What they did this year I thought was very cool is they started turning into a much more man-heavy defense on third down. Not just man but man with pressure and again, you’re talking about a base Cover-2 coach adapting and doing different things to, in my opinion, keep up with offensive trends in the NFL, to attack the quick game, to make the quarterback feel pressure and to create unnecessary movement in the pocket.”
Matt Eberflus is a defensive head coach.
This is the truth. He sees the game from that side of the ball. However, that does not make him ignorant of what it takes to succeed in today’s NFL. Just take how he’s constructed his coaching staff as another example. Rather than call plays on defense, he has delegated those duties to new defensive coordinator Alan Williams. This frees him up to focus his responsibilities on the entire team.
Then he hired Luke Getsy to bring in the Shanahan offensive scheme. Easily among the most successful in the NFL today. This year three of the final four teams in the postseason have roots in that offense—Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, Sean McVay in Los Angeles, and Zach Taylor in Cincinnati. Eberflus knows how difficult that offense is to defend and how it can carry a team deep into the playoffs when it works.
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If you want to judge him based on one press conference, that is your mistake.
