Matt Eberflus knew what he was stepping into when he took over as Chicago Bears head coach. The organization had a reputation already established. Good defense. Bad offense. It has been that way for a long time. His predecessor Matt Nagy was supposed to fix it, bringing the mighty Kansas City Chiefs system with him. It didn’t work. The Bears never ranked outside the 20s in total offense during his tenure. Eberflus somehow had to fix that despite being a “defensive” guy.
It hasn’t gone smoothly thus far. Chicago has the worst passing attack in the league and is 24th in scoring. However, they have emerged as the most dominant ground attack in football at the same time. Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy have leaned into the strengths of their personnel. It paid off with a 33-14 drubbing of the Patriots, by far the most dominant win any Bears team has had in years. The running game led the way with 243 yards. Eberflus was asked later what had led to so much success on the ground.
His answer was based on simple logic and also became an accidental jab at Nagy. Credit to the Barroom Network for spotting it first.
#Bears' head coach Matt Eberflus was asked what's behind the excellent production of the run game and I almost had a heart attack. pic.twitter.com/o4jH8m92cp
— Barroom Network (@BarroomNetwork) October 26, 2022
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Matt Eberflus is correct in his assessment.
The Bears are #1 because they execute well and stick with it. They’re #2 in the league in rushing attempts. They’re willing to stay patient, wearing opponents down throughout a game. Having the one-two punch of David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert, along with Justin Fields‘ dangerous speed, makes it a menacing backfield. Nagy’s problem was he tended to get overly pass-happy during games, even when the ground attack was working.
He willingly went away from what the Bears did well to what they didn’t do well. It was his fatal flaw as an offensive coordinator. The guy wanted to chuck the ball 35-40 times per game. It’s why critics accused him of not understanding the strengths and weaknesses of his players. Matt Eberflus didn’t intend to make the same mistake. It hasn’t always been pretty, but this new Bears offense at least has an identity. The players have embraced it, and now it’s yielding results.
Funny you say that. I thought he was asking Mahomes for his autograph. Either that or he was asking him if he could fill out the playbook so Nagy could add to his future repertoire 😂
Comparing Eberflus to Nagy is like comparing a fine Pinot Noir wine to a bottle of Mogan David or Thunderbird wine at $2.99/bottle. Eberflus also has exceptional communication skills – with both the media and his team. All Nagy needed was a bullhorn to tell everyone what a guru he was. I did see Nagy sitting next to Mahomes during the Chiefs-49ers game…I think he was signing Mahomes bathroom pass.
The concept of designing a game plan on the strength of the players and what they do well has been often quoted but seldom practiced. The Bears have shown it can be effective. While the Bears will be limited by the lack of talent this year next year will be a further development stage. With the current coaching staff and the addition of free agents and draft choices in 2023 they may become contenders again!
What games are the rest of you watching? Monty has been a stellar back with a crap line since he got here. He has put up numbers that make him a top back in the NFL even with Gomer Pyle as head coach and no blockers that could be considered world beaters. Pay the man some of that 115 million in cap space and put the running back need to bed. Don’t trade a guy who can get you close to 1000 yards each year
Don’t give up on Monty. He is not a star back. He doesn’t have speed. But he is a chain mover and a decent receiver. There is a market for him but, without star potential, nobody is going to break the bank for him. He may actually have more value to the Bears than most other teams due to scheme. I expect Poles to make a fair market offer to retain him and then let him test the market. 60-70% chance he is back here. Otherwise promote Herbert, let Ebner have some 3rd downs and add a backup from the… Read more »