Multiple players have been asked about head coach Matt Eberflus and if he’s lost the Chicago Bears locker room. This comes on the heels of two games in which the team looked listless and half-interested, resulting in just 12 points scored and two ugly blowout losses. D.J. Moore didn’t outright deny the idea, even if he technically said no. Kevin Byard dodged the question entirely. It is clear something is off with this team. Nobody would’ve guessed that Darnell Wright would provide clarity on what is wrong.
Kalyn Kahler of the Chicago Tribune talked to the Bears right tackle after offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired. He stated replacement Thomas Brown intends to focus on basic, particularly violence and effort. Kahler asked if the effort was an issue. It was here Wright went into a speech that is equal parts tragic and damning for the head coach.
It also explains a lot.
“I don’t know if it’s necessarily, like, just completely effort. I know guys are trying hard, but there’s just a certain passion that comes with it. When you lose a couple games, it’s almost like you lose that- It’s like the Washington game kind of took the wind out of the team. Because you’re fighting and fighting, and you come back and then obviously, like, a crazy ending, whatever, it is what it is, but it’s hard to find your passion as a team when you’re fighting for something and it feels like no matter how hard you fight, you just lose it in the end.
It just takes the wind out of you. I feel like that’s been kind of over everyone’s head, or just like, took the wind out of the team. It’s just a terrible feeling when you have that happen and just getting that passion back and that effort. I don’t know if it’s effort comes with that, but it’s just the excitement for the game and the passion for the game comes with that kind of feel.”
Darnell Wright indicates the Washington game wasn’t just a bad loss.
It was a breaking point. Teams have tough losses from time to time. It can be draining but rarely drags on your passion for the game. That isn’t the case for this team because it wasn’t the first time this has happened. Over the past year, the Bears have experienced this feeling multiple times. It started with coughing up the 28-7 lead against Denver last year. Then it was losing a 12-point lead with under four minutes left in Detroit to lose. Don’t forget allowing over 200 yards passing in the 4th quarter against Cleveland, dropping a 10-point lead in another loss.
That Hail Mary loss to Washington was probably the worst because of how hard the Bears fought to regain the lead. Then, in a span of 25 seconds, it was ripped away from them. The common denominator in all of this is Eberflus. His decisions played a central role in the Commanders’ getting that opportunity. His defense gave up all of those big leads in the other losses. At some point, it appears the players realized this guy doesn’t know how to win when it matters. Losing that way so many times can tug at your love of the game. Darnell Wright speaks the truth, and it’s why a change feels inevitable.
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Funny how Darnell Wright just described the feeling of today’s game, especially regarding its outcome
Can’t find your passion!!??? OK…now try and find your paycheck. Your passion will come back real soon. That should be the message to all the players. Sick of blaming the coaches.
The real question is not going to be if or when Matt Eberflus is fired, it is going to be what do we do if Thomas Brown turns this offense around and they beat GB, beat Dt, and Min and SF pushing this team to 6-4 or 7-5 record….? Do the Bears then go into the offseason looking at keep T Brown as OC under Eberflus, or do they fire Eberflus hire Kingsbury, Johnson etc and start over with CW? T Brown could be the bigger catalyst for this team to bring in change at HC level or to stay… Read more »
Good article Erik. Good points by commentators that there really are many problems. We should have had better offense to never be in that situation. That’s the first and real problem. Next Eberflus making bad play calls like allowing the play before the hail Mary. Then finally the lack of discipline that led to Stevenson goofing off and ruining the play. You think Harbaugh would have allowed that to happen? Nope. Stevenson would have been more disciplined in the first place. I would say the best course is to keep losing and force a big change… but what does it… Read more »
There isn’t just 1 problem with this organization. There’s a ton involved. Poles has been OK but he’s also made a ton of errors. He’s playing a 1st overall pick at QB while ignoring the offensive line, he hasn’t drafted 1 true star player out of all of his picks, he’s made terrible decisions with Claypool, Davis, and Flus, etc. Players know when they are being led by weak men. Being led by weak men rubs off in the overall teams identity. Sure these players are professional, but they also have their bodies to look after because right now that’s… Read more »