The Chicago Bears continue to prepare for their difficult matchup on Monday night against the New England Patriots in Foxboro. Chicago will enter the game losing their last three games, while New England has beaten their last two opponents by 23 points or more. Bears’ head coach Matt Eberflus will face the difficult task of keeping his team together in a stretch of games against some of the NFL’s best teams while managing the possibility of his team facing a lengthy losing streak.
Eberflus Needs To Have His Team Not Quit On Him If The Season Goes Awry
Eberflus was hired by new general manager Ryan Poles to help assist with a complete rebuild of the Bears’ roster, with the 2022 season expected to be a rebuilding year. Despite the low expectations for Chicago’s young roster that lacks talent, there were expectations that the team’s first-year head coach would make the players play dedicated football. Through the first six games of the 2022 season, Bears’ players have played hard for Eberflus, as Chicago has only lost one game by more than eight points.
Another positive attribute Eberflus has proven in his first season as Bears’ head coach has been the implementation and execution of halftime changes in game plans. In the six games, Chicago has played, they have only allowed two touchdowns in the second half of their games. Additionally, in each of the bears’ four losses this year, there have been moments in which the team has shown enough fight to make the games intriguing in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings lead 21-10 at halftime in a game that has seen more out of hand than the score would indicate. Let's see what adjustments Matt Eberflus and his staff have at halftime. The Bears have still not allowed a second-half touchdown and will open receiving the football.
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) October 9, 2022
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The issue moving forward over the next three to four weeks will be that the Bears will be playing some of the league’s best teams in the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, and Miami Dolphins. There is a significant chance that the Bears will lose their next three games and could be stuck in a six-game losing streak. A losing streak of that magnitude is never good, but it depends on how the Bears respond and play during that stretch of football.
Eberflus can’t afford for his team to quit on him and not show signs of life if any of these games get away from Chicago, especially in the second half. If the Bears players flat-out quit during any of these games and a score goes from 20-10 at halftime to a final score of 37-10, it will reflect poorly on their head coach. Furthermore, if Chicago is losing these games because the team isn’t hustling or displaying sound fundamentals, it will be an indictment on Eberflus, as that was his main goal with the team.
Fans and analysts know that the Bears’ do not have enough talent to remain competitive with the NFL’s elite, but there needs to be a level of dignity shown if the team continues to lose. Eberflus is already demonstrating an ability to make adjustments during Chicago’s current three-game losing streak, as changes along the starting offensive line are expected to be made ahead of Monday Night’s game. If players quit during losses, it will be significant to see how fast the Bears’ head coach makes roster changes to send a message to the team.
“We’ll see where that goes.” — Bears coach Matt Eberflus on potential changes for the offensive line.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) October 20, 2022
Eberflus Needs To Avoid Mimicking The Head Coach He Replaced
Eberflus replaced former head coach Matt Nagy who served in the role for four seasons with Chicago. Despite leading the Bears to a 12-win season in 2018, Nagy’s tenure had multiple losing streaks. From 2019 through 2021, Chicago featured four-game losing streaks in each of those seasons, while the 2020 season featured a losing streak of six games. Due to stubbornness featured on Nagy’s part, in-season changes had to be made by former general manager Ryan Pace, including stripping the former head coach of play-calling duties in 2020.
Also worth noting that this is Matt Nagy 3rd consecutive season with a 4+ game losing streak.
Things will NOT be favorable for him at Halas Hall when the season is over. Bigger question comes down to Pace who skates by without taking enough blame far too often, IMO. #Bears
— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) November 9, 2021
If Chicago enters into a lengthy losing-streak in 2022, Eberflus must show how he is different from Nagy in how he handles consecutive losses. If Chicago’s head coach and his staff can make in-game adjustments while continuing to motivate his players to play hard in the face of adversity, it will make a difference in how the coaching staff is perceived by the media and fans. Nagy was often criticized as each loss during his lengthy losing-streak was the same thing continuously, with no mistakes corrected or any new adjustments implemented.
The way second-year quarterback Justin Fields and the offense plays over the next several games will also be a key indicator of how Eberflus is different from Nagy when it comes to losing streaks. With Chicago’s former head coach, Fields started in five consecutive games that resulted in losses while only playing well in two games. In most of those games, Chicago’s rookie quarterback looked overmatched and displayed an inability to read defenses.
During the current three-game losing streak, Fields has still displayed signs of being unable to read defenses but has played better. In Chicago’s last two losses, the offense has been placed in a situation by their second-year quarterback where they could have either tied or won the game with their final possession. Even if the Bears get blown out in their next several games, it is still vital to see Fields and the offense put up positive numbers, especially in garbage time.
Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy on Justin Fields' timing in the pocket: "The experience of playing the position is the only way you get that. … I really do believe that it’s just gotten better and better each week and he’s going to continue to grow through that."
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) October 21, 2022
Losing is acceptable for the Bears during their rebuild, but it is how they lose that matters for Eberflus. Chicago’s first-year head coach can’t afford for his team to show up only to get beat repeatedly without any signs of life or changes being implemented. If Eberflus can at least have his players display dedication and fight during a potential lengthy losing streak, it will go a long way in proving he is the right coach for Chicago.
A successful coach is a good motivator, but players need to be their own motivators as much or more than the coach. What Eberflus and his staff seem to do that should keep the team positive and on an upward trajectory is that they seem to focus on individual teaching to improve each player. That carries a hell of a lot more weight with players in getting them to give max effort consistently than any locker room speech ever will because it helps the players’ careers, makes them longer, gets them more accolades and earns them more money. At the… Read more »
But, but the HITS system though
Eberflus has shown more positives than negatives in the short time he has been HC. The reluctance to get Mustipher out was puzzling, but that is a sign that the roster is truly awful. Poles better make great decisions next year, because his choices of signing scrapheap players this year has been questionable at best. And remember — the Bears don’t want to win this year.