Can one game really rock an organization so much? It certainly seems that way. The Chicago Bears‘ 38-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers was easily the most dispiriting suffered by this organization in years. It marked the seventh consecutive loss to their longtime rivals. It was also head coach Matt Eberflus’ third straight loss to them. Each one seems to have been more gutwrenching than the last. Combine that with a now 11-game losing streak, and you have the perfect formula for locker room discontent.
Rumblings of bad feelings have slipped out of Halas Hall all week. It started with Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog indicating a lot of anger at the top of the organization over the team’s performance on Sunday. Losing was one thing, but to look so incompetent at times was unacceptable. As a result, it appears the coaching staff might be buckling under the pressure. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams has mysteriously stepped away from the team for “personal issues.” Eberflus will assume play calling duties. Players seem on edge.
Now, other insiders like Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune and Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago report the same concerning trend.
The Chicago Bears need a win in the worst way.
This organization has never lost so many games in such a short span of time. Since October 17th of 2021, the Bears are now 6-21. Eberflus is 3-15 to start his head coaching career. That is by far the lowest winning percentage of any head coach in Bears history through his first 18 games. For all his strong messages about playing with consistency, effort, and intensity, the fact is it’s not showing up in the win column. When that happens, players have a bad tendency to get restless. They lose a sense of team unity, and the locker room fractures.
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It’s not a new phenomenon. This has happened with the Chicago Bears before. It happened to Marc Trestman, and it happened to John Fox. Even Matt Nagy couldn’t avoid it despite his strong first year in 2018. Plenty of coaches can have the right message. It matters little if you can’t back it up on Sundays. This game in Tampa Bay is easily the most important of Eberflus’ career. It appears his locker room might be coming apart already. Another loss puts the Bears at 0-2, with a visit to Kansas City up next. An 0-3 start could send his second season spiraling out of control.
The team is falling apart right before our eyes.