Matt Eberflus has always talked about accountability across the Chicago Bears organization. Everyone needs to be held to a high standard if the team is to become a winner. That isn’t a bad philosophy. It ensures everybody does their part. However, the head coach might be running into a problem. It is knowing who to hold accountable. After another frustrating loss in Indianapolis headlined by another lifeless offensive effort, Eberflus may not have helped his situation in the locker room.
The one play that best sums up the loss came late in the first half. Chicago had driven down to the one-yard line. It was 4th down. They had multiple options for play calls to punch it in. A run with Roschon Johnson. Maybe a play action to get Caleb Williams on the move. Nope. Shane Waldron calls a speed option to the left that was blown up for a 12-yard loss. Everybody, fans, and experts thought it was one of the worst calls they’d ever seen. What does Eberflus do? He doubles down on the call and criticizes the players for poor execution.
“We liked the play. We just got to get to the second level, get to the linebacker there, zone up to him and pitch off the end man on the line of scrimmage. We got to execute better.”
Matt Eberflus didn’t take accountability.
The smart thing to do is just admit it wasn’t the best call. Running a horizontal run in a congested area with an offensive line that has routinely shown it can’t block that way was a recipe for disaster. Shane Waldron had no business calling that play. Yet Eberflus still saw fit to defend him. Even Coleman Shelton admitted after the game that guys in the huddle questioned the call, especially when they saw Indianapolis wasn’t running the defensive look they hoped to see.
Any momentum Matt Eberflus had coming out of last season appears to have fizzled. The Bears are right back to the rudderless team they were in September of 2023. He managed to rally the troops last time, but they were able to at least run the ball back then. That is no longer the case. Little moments like this could pile up fast if the losses keep mounting.
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So he describes how the play *should* work, and then says “we need to do that” in defense of a lousy play call. They had 1 yard to go to score, and instead they snap it in the shotgun, losing yardage to start the play, and pitch it to a running back who has had so-so success in the game and who is NOT a short yardage back, to the short side of the field. It was a stupid call that smelled of “they will never expect a call like this one!” in the decision. George Halas would have told… Read more »
I think this is a horse manure interpretation of this interview and of the game. This is nothing but an attack media after a lost game trying to get some zinger on da coach who hasn’t seen the tape. We have a great DC head coach and we’re building an Offense with a very talented Qb-WR combo. Yet the dysfunction of the new OC is a firing offense? What the hell is wrong with the Chicago media? You don’t believe in building things or having growing pains? What about the 15 year road construction projects? You gotta have all the… Read more »
Now we are bitching at Eberflus for actually pointing out an issue with the line? He needs to; they have been awful! Not to mention, 4 of them were lying on the ground mid-play! And the play in question was awful, but he may not know that because he is a defensive guy. That’s bullshit too! The play was one of the worst calls I can remember, maybe the only worse call was throwing the ball when you have Marshawn Lynch and two downs to win the Super Bowl from 1 yard away.
@TGena Yes. Eberflus, because he understands defense, also understand how to coach, develop and coordinate defenses. No one in the Bears either is able to understand offense, or coach or coordinate it. Offense is both psychologically, and philosophically different from the defensive concept. In defense, you need people to react, be aware and disrupt. In offense, you need multiple players to work as a unit at whatever you plan. Even great runners need blocks to open holes, block downfield, seal edges, or in passing separate using techniques. A very simple idea is racing and relay racing. Why do American men… Read more »
In the imagination of every single coach and coordinator, every play that they call is “perfect.” They are all “genius.” It is ALWAYS the players who can’t execute. Every player is incompetent and a failure – unless a play succeeds, and then it’s a beautiful call. It is difficult to count how many times I’ve heard fans call players, “losers,” “busts,” “scrubs,” “failures,” without a single thing being said about the coordinator or coaches. If Ryan Poles or Matt Eberflus (or both) are looking at coordinators, that isn’t enough. Someone has to coordinate the coaching of each position. Someone has… Read more »