Matt Eberflus is 14-32 in his third season with the Chicago Bears. The 54-year-old head coach has been the foreman of a fixer-upper project that the architect, general manager Ryan Poles, put together in the 2022 offseason.
Since Poles and Eberflus took over Halas Hall, a losing culture has settled in. On Thanksgiving, Eberflus’ incompetence was on full display to a national audience as the Bears blew another chance to end their six-game losing streak.
Forget “Black Monday”, A black Friday could be coming for Eberflus.
The Chicago Bears could make a change before Week 14
Per Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bears will look at making a coaching change before their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Week 14. (The Bears have never fired a head coach midseason.)
Via the Chicago Sun-Times:
“Ahead of the Lions game, the Bears had made no decision on Eberflus’ future, a source said.
The organization has a longstanding principle of not firing a head coach in-season, but Eberflus has forced them into a position where that absolutely is possible. It will be legitimately considered, and in the aftermath of his self-sabotage in the loss to the Lions, it’s the right call.”
Matt Eberflus made another bad decision on Thanksgiving
Eberflus’ final incriminating decision might be his choice not to call a timeout after Caleb Williams took a sack with approximately 35 seconds left in the game. Because of the delay in getting a play call to Williams (Williams claimed it took nearly 20 seconds for him to receive the play call), the Bears only had one shot to win the game: a low-percentage deep ball to Rome Odunze.
As Eberflus has done so many times in press conferences during the Bears’ six-game losing streak, he defended his decision not to coach.
“I like what we did there,” Eberflus said. “I think we handled it the right way…Didn’t work out the way we wanted it to.”
Eberflus wanted to blame Williams for not getting a snap off with about 18 seconds remaining in the game. Wiliams pointed the finger back at the coaching staff. Williams said he had to make a play change because the play call came in with 13 seconds remaining.
Not on the same page
“In that situation, I’m living with the call and I let the coaches and everybody make that decision depending on whether it’s time, depending on whether it’s the guys running back and they’re far down the field,” Williams said. “Whatever that situation is, that’s going to be [Eberflus’] call. Maybe in the later years of my career, but right now I get the call, I’m trying to lead the guys to win and I’m trying to get everybody lined up, and from there, I’m trying to make a play for the Chicago Bears.”
Once again, there is clear disfunction with communication between the staff and their players in critical situations. It’s on a third-year head coach to make the right decision, not his rookie quarter. A six-game losing streak more than proves that Eberflus isn’t making the right decisions.
Will Chicago’s ownership make the right one on Friday?
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