Matt Eberflus is not the head coach many Chicago Bears fans expected. After the country club atmosphere Matt Nagy fostered since 2018, the belief was the organization might opt for somebody who had a heavier hand. Somebody that would work to instill better discipline in the players. Eberflus doesn’t seem like that kind of guy. He is anything but a firebreather. This isn’t someone that uses a loud voice to get his point across. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney even called him chill.
Don’t be fooled, though. Eberflus might not be a screamer, but he’s made it clear from the start that his standards for this team will be high. Every player will be expected to meet them. They must be willing to play with high effort, intensity, and speed. Above all, he wants a violent football team. That message has been consistent for months. So consistent that the head coach even made it clear to every free agent the team met with during the offseason. He had no intention of deceiving anybody on this point.
Tight end Ryan Griffin revealed as much on Bears All Access.
One of the more underappreciated facts about good head coaches is their ability to stay on message. They never deviate from who they’re trying to be. Guys like Bill Belichick, John Harbaugh, Andy Reid, and Sean McVay know the types of teams they want to run. Their goal is to find players that embrace that vision. With an identity established, the team should play far more consistent football. This was a constant issue with Nagy. Nobody knew what type of team he wanted.
That won’t be a problem with Eberflus. His requirements are clear: effort, intensity, intelligence, speed, and violence. Those are the five core principles for his team. Players willing to meet that standard will have a place on the Bears.
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Matt Eberflus may not be the best coach but could be the right one.
Anybody that watched the classic movie ‘Miracle’ about the 1980 U.S. hockey team might remember a classic quote by Kurt Russell’s character, Herb Brooks. When he assembled the roster for the Olympic games, he was asked why he was passing on some of the better players in the country. Brooks replied, “I’m not looking for the best players, Craig. I’m looking for the right ones.” That is how it feels to describe Eberflus.
Nobody can say for sure if he’s destined to be one of the best head coaches in the NFL. Still, it feels like he is the right coach for the Bears. He understands this city and the type of football that has found success in it for years. George Halas wanted physical teams that played fast and violent.
Over the past ten years, it feels like the franchise has lost its way.
Matt Eberflus aims to bring back that style with a modern twist. If the players buy in as it seems they already are, this team is only more talent away from winning again. That should come with time and trust in GM Ryan Poles.
“…only more talent away from winning again.” How do you define what talent is if they fit
into Matt Eberflus’s framework of being “the right guy”? Are you saying your idea of talent is better than his?