Ryan Poles had a tough decision to make. The Chicago Bears had just finished 7-10 last season. While the final record was disappointing, it had come after a 0-4 start to the season. Head coach Matt Eberflus had managed to hold the locker room together and finish the year 7-6. That recovery told the Bears GM that the coach could withstand the hard times and keep his team focused. However, many felt there were too many red flags to give Eberflus another year, especially with the likely prospect of picking a quarterback #1 overall.
His in-game management decisions were suspect: poor challenges, questionable timeouts, and a failure to grasp situational football. It didn’t help that his team blew three double-digit 4th quarter leads. Still, Poles believed in the person and the leader.
The Bears opted to stay the course.
He might be regretting that decision. Chicago has stumbled to a 1-2 record through the first three games, characterized by many of the same things that haunted the team last year. He had two misguided challenges against Houston that everybody knew would fail. However, things reached a low point against Indianapolis last week when Eberflus called a timeout because he wanted to go for a two-point conversion and then pointlessly burned another during a Colts drive that was at the Bears two-yard line and they were obviously going to score. Those two timeouts could’ve given the offense a chance to win the game in the final minutes, but they had no way to stop the clock.
A source informed SM that Poles didn’t react to those moments well. The timeout in the 4th quarter drew a particularly “frustrated” reaction from the GM.
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Ryan Poles won’t fire Eberflus during the season.
No Bears head coach has ever gotten that dubious distinction. However, the source indicated that Poles’ patience with Eberflus is reaching its limits. The feeling is that both the Houston and Indianapolis games were winnable, especially the latter. The primary reasons for that loss can be traced to Eberflus and his decision-making. It doesn’t help that Shane Waldron, his choice to replace Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator, has looked like a complete flop to start the season.
The defense has continued to look good. However, that isn’t what Eberflus was hired to do. He was brought in to make this team a winner. Yet, it still remains plagued by sloppiness and lack of discipline in key moments. That falls at the feet of the head coach. Ryan Poles can’t do anything about it right now. His hands are tied. Even so, it appears the GM can’t keep finding excuses for the head coach.
Bullshit headline.
Name two people involved in this team who are genuinely happy with one other.
Well according to Erik Lambert, ALL the problems the team faced last year was SOLELY Justin Fields, now he has to pivot and be all over the place, this writer makes me want to puke with his flip flopping like a fish out of water…!
This team will be very lucky to even go 2-6 in the final 8 games of the season. But Flus is a Poles guy and we all know Poles will ride or die with his guys, regardless of clear evidence he should move on. Expect more of Flus next year, and more bad talent acquisitions by Poles.
The timeouts shouldn’t be a problem. Put one of the quality control coaches, probably an offensive one, as the ‘clock manager’. Clock manager suggests when to use and not use time outs, and that’s all that person focuses on at the ends of the halves. Won’t make it perfect, but it will make it better. The biggest problem with Flus, to me, is slow starts. Last season, 0-4 went to 7-10. Texans game, defense shut down Houston in the second half, but gave up 16 in the first half. Against Tennessee, same thing, D started slow, but played great second… Read more »