Matt Eberflus knew what needed to be done when he arrived in January. If he were going to get the Chicago Bears to a point where they can win, they’d have to be willing to do something that isn’t easy. Make sacrifices. In this case, they must run hard on every play in practice and play with the degree of intensity and physicality the sport demands. Teams that are the toughest and the best-conditioned usually come out on top.
Anybody who attended practices in August could see the message being sent. Players were thudding in drills every day, running hard at all times. Many of them, including Cole Kmet, Darnell Mooney, and Jaylon Johnson, admitted they were the toughest practices they’ve ever been a part of. With the regular season approaching, though, some might think Eberflus plans to take his foot off the gas a little bit.
The head coach disabused everybody of such a thought during his latest presser. Health issues aside, physical practices will remain a regularity all season long. He has a specific reason for this.
Matt Eberflus won’t let his team get soft.
Football is a violent sport. It takes a toll on the body. One thing he’s learned over three decades of experience is the value of using constant physicality as a way to callous one’s self against the rigors of a long season. Several coaches didn’t like it when the new Collective Bargaining Agreement put a cap on padded practices. They felt it would lead to more injuries, not fewer. It appears Eberflus falls into that same camp.
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Everything starts in the trenches. One of the big reasons the Bears haven’t had much success over the past decade was their inability to control the line of scrimmage. Players from other teams openly called them soft. Not physical enough. Matt Eberflus saw it first-hand when his Indianapolis Colts team manhandled them in 2020. That isn’t going to fly on his watch. Other teams might be more talented than the Bears. However, one thing will be sure.
They better be ready for battle on every single snap.
There are always excuses to go soft but it rarely works.
I like it but in a few years if injuries pile up and or we arent winning media and fans will want a change. Like the Bulls with Thibs
I’m good with being physical and bringing the toughness to a violent game. The pad level thing is a great insldicator though. Flus gets it on many levels I think.