Matt Eberflus isn’t the kind of guy that gets overly emotional about outside criticism. That comes from having coached football for 30 years by this point. There will always be people out there thinking you’ll fail, whether things are going well or not. He knew what the expectations of the Chicago Bears were going to be when he took over in January. The man isn’t naive. You don’t inherit a 6-11 football team, overturn more than half the roster, and expect optimism from the national media.
Still, one would think the Bears might get at least a little respect. It’s not like they’re totally devoid of talent. Their defense still has a strong core of talent led by Robert Quinn, Roquan Smith, and Jaylon Johnson. Offensively, Darnell Mooney had over 1,000 yards last year. David Montgomery has topped 1,000 total yards in each of his first three years. Cole Kmet cracked 600 as well. Justin Fields is still immensely talented and more experienced now.
Nobody is saying it’s a powerhouse, but some record predictions feel too pessimistic.
USA Today has them going 3-14. ESPN even had them 2-15 and a favorite for the #1 overall pick. That means they basically think these Bears are on par with the 2016 team that went 3-13. When comparing both rosters, that doesn’t feel fair. Bears media members asked Eberflus about these gloomy projections for his team and what he thinks about him. The head coach seemed to bristle slightly but kept a smile on his face. His response didn’t lack venom.
Eberflus isn’t wrong. Last year was a perfect example. ESPN analytics expert Seth Walderman proudly did a full schedule simulation before the 2021 season. His fool-proof projections had the Jacksonville Jaguars going 9-8, the Cleveland Browns going 12-5, and the Arizona Cardinals going 6-11. Those three teams finished 3-14, 8-9, and 11-6, respectively. So yeah. Nobody knows anything about what will actually happen.
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Matt Eberflus has quiet confidence in his team.
There are a few reasons for this. Unlike most, he thinks the talent on the roster is better than it gets credit for. They have athletes with speed at almost every position. That tends to create positive results on the field more often than not. More importantly, the team has an identity. Guys have embraced the new culture of the H.I.T.S principle. Everybody is committed to hustle, intensity, takeaways, and smarts. That was reflected in their solid preseason showing.
The Bears aren’t going to win every game. However, Matt Eberflus believes they will be competitive in most of them. Several can quickly turn in your favor when a team keeps games close with some lucky bounces. More than anything, the head coach trusts the conditioning and preparation. Guys went through hell in training camp to get ready for this season.
Games will be country club jaunts by comparison.
The experts may end up being right. The Bears could crumble to the worst record in the NFL. Eberflus doesn’t think that will happen. He believes in the character of his players and his coaches. More than anything, he believes in himself. He’s prepared for this moment for a long time. National projections won’t deter him from his mission. If anything, they only fuel his fire.
Nagy the toad is gone… He was Clueless.. The whole mental mindset of everyone has flipped 180*… We shall see…..
Time will tell, but I don’t think this team will embarass themselves. They should be competitive, which is vast improvement
It’s all about execution. Personally, I think the Bears have a much better team than last year, obviously they are coached better, and I think they are finally prioritizing the O-line. My one knock is, I wish they had upgraded the center position a little more. Teams that consistently contend seem to, Baltimore, Pittsburgh…
The evidence is abundant for the Bears to have a successful season against a weak schedule. Some see it clearly, for the rest.. you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.