Vibes were bad after the loss last week to Washington. Everybody could sense it. Chicago Bears players were upset at how the game ended, particularly from a coaching point of view. Nobody took more heat than Matt Eberflus. He greenlit the hand-off to Doug Kramer that was fumbled. He called soft coverage to allow an easy 13-yard reception to give the Commander a much easier Hail Mary throw. Then to top it off, he failed to see Tyrique Stevenson wasn’t paying attention on the final play and didn’t call a timeout.
That brutal loss put Eberflus back on the hot seat. Once again, he let a game he should’ve won slip through his fingers. This trend has followed him for years but became magnified in 2023 when his defense blew double-digit leads to Denver, Detroit, and Cleveland in the fourth quarter. It was becoming clear that he seemed to crumble in key situations.
Sure enough, in a must-win game against the Arizona Cardinals, it happened again. Trailing 14-9 with 12 seconds left, all the Bears had to do was keep them out of field goal range. Instead, they allowed a 53-yard touchdown run. It was a breakdown of colossal proportions.
Matt Eberflus seemed out of answers by the second half.
The Bears remained flat on offense, while the defense didn’t seem to have much fire. It was clear spirits had hit rock bottom. Poor tackling. Poor execution. Zero intensity. This was supposed to be the part of their schedule they could take advantage of to build their record for a tough second half against the NFC North and two playoff contenders in San Francisco and Seattle. Now it looks like it may be yet another death march for an organization that still can’t find the leader at head coach they’ve been seeking since Lovie Smith left over a decade ago.
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It is unfortunate things have reached this point. Then again, nobody should be surprised. George McCaskey seems unable to hire the right coach since he took over as chairman in 2011. It started with Marc Trestman, then John Fox, Matt Nagy, and now Matt Eberflus. None of those guys were considered the top options of their respective candidate pools. They just happened to give the right answers in their interviews. For whatever reason, the team always fails to target the best candidates.
While the Bears firing Eberflus midseason is unlikely, this devastating loss all but slams the door shut on him returning in 2025.
@Wes P You are correct. Poles was hired a single day before Eberflus was. That’s not enough time to do a serious eval or have any real input about the decision.
I’m really not sure Matt Eberflus was Ryan Poles choice in the first place. I think George McCasky and Bill Polian interviewed Eberflus and liked him before they chose a GM. So, when they hired Ryan Poles, George recommended Eberflus and hoped Poles would accept him as his choice. Poles went along but it’s pretty obvious Eberflus is no Andy Reed.
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@TWTY – you’re right.
Fans who accept this shit on a platter are the McCaskey’s enablers. Those who defend it are complicit.
Mr. Poles, it’s your move. DO something to salvage your work.
Supposedly, Eberflus told reporters that they left Williams on the field in the blowout to gain experience.
“OK, Caleb, and this is how you get fitted for a body cast.”