In wake of Matt Eberflus firing, Bears embark into uncharted territory

Carmen Vitali

NFL Reporter

The Chicago Bears have formally finished one thing they’ve by no means finished sooner than of their 104-year franchise historical past: hearth a head lecturer in the course of the season.

Following a 3rd consecutive tragic loss, this one 23-20 on Thanksgiving Past to the divisional rival Detroit Lions, Matt Eberflus used to be relieved of his training tasks, the team announced Friday. 

The inside track adopted Eberflus’ customary day-after weekly press convention held previous Friday morning, through which Eberflus mentioned issues have been “business as usual” and that he used to be “confident” he can be training the Bears of their then recreation towards the San Francisco 49ers then Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

Two hours then, he used to be out.

Mismanagement and malpractice turns out to exit past the pinnacle lecturer place in Chicago. Making this drastic of a advance when it hasn’t ever finished so sooner than indicators one thing each bleak and perhaps encouraging for Bears enthusiasts.

It most probably can’t worsen.

The Bears had deemed their lecturer a legal responsibility. It’s the one explanation why for firing a head lecturer sooner than the season is over, and after gross incompetence in a potential game-tying situation yet again, there’s in point of fact deny argument towards that.

[Related: NFL head coach hot seat rankings: Matt Eberflus might not be last coach to go]

Regardless that Chicago were given off to a gradual set in towards the NFL’s very best crew at the street in Thursday’s nationally televised recreation, they fought again. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams led a landing power to drag the Bears inside of 3 issues with 5:36 left within the recreation. It used to be Chicago’s 3rd landing in 4 drives. The protection later pulled it in combination, forcing a punt to provide the Bears the ball again with 2:05 left in legislation.

It used to be in large part a start-stop power, however Williams and the offense were given to the Lions’ 25-yard form. Consequences and an ill-timed sack taken through Williams driven them again to the Detroit 41 with 36 seconds at the clock. Chicago had a timeout, however Eberflus inexplicably didn’t jerk it. Williams didn’t exit rapid plenty. And abruptly, one latter incompletion to Rome Odunze changed into the latter play games of the sport. Similar to that, Chicago misplaced.

Bears gamers have been in trauma. So have been Lions gamers, for that subject. It used to be written everywhere their faces postgame. 

Next, Eberflus were given to the rostrum — and made issues worse.

“I like what we did there,” Eberflus mentioned of the latter play games. “Again, once it’s under seven (seconds), you’re going to call a timeout there — actually under 12 (seconds) and then really you don’t have an option because it’s third (down) to fourth, you have to throw it into the end zone then.

“I believe we treated it the suitable approach. I do imagine that you simply rerack the play games, get it in bounds and contact timeout, and that’s why we held it and didn’t determine the way in which we would have liked it to.”

There was nothing to like there. It was yet another late-game failure by a Chicago team that had a chance to win. Not acknowledging that was almost as egregious as it happening in the first place.

In the game prior against the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears came up empty with uninspired playcalling in extra time despite converting an onside kick and connecting on a game-tying field goal that forced the game into overtime. They even won the overtime coin toss.

And before that, against the dreaded Green Bay Packers, a blocked field goal spoiled a potential game-winning drive for Williams after he got his team well within Cairo Santos’ kicking field. 

I haven’t even discussed the “Fail Mary” against the Washington Commanders. That was perhaps the other most glaring mismanagement by the now-former Bears coach. 

In that game, Williams helped give the Bears their first lead with 25 seconds left on the clock. The Commanders needed a miracle to win. They got it when rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ Rain Mary move used to be tipped into the palms of broad receiver Noah Brown through Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. The thing is, Stevenson was supposed to be covering Brown but instead wasn’t paying attention when the play began and came in late on a rogue assignment. 

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Bears had a timeout. Eberflus could have — and should have — taken it, even if he didn’t see Stevenson taunting the crowd on the far end of the field.

All of this left the Bears no choice. Chicago had found new ways to lose games seemingly every week. Eberflus was a liability.

Chicago will now turn to Thomas Brown as its interim head coach. Just 17 days ago, Brown was the team’s passing game coordinator. He was elevated to offensive coordinator when Shane Waldron was fired two weeks ago. After Brown’s third game as the interim offensive coordinator, he will now be elevated to interim head coach.

It’s hard to think Brown is getting a fair shake given how much dysfunction has taken place in Chicago already. 

While the Bears have never fired a head coach midseason, Eberflus’ firing will perpetuate a cycle that has been happening in Chicago for nearly a decade. The Bears, yet again, fired a head coach less than a year after taking a quarterback in the first round. Williams will now have to navigate a staff change after his rookie season, just like Justin Gardens and Mitch Trubisky did sooner than him.

Things like that are the mark of a larger organizational problem. Letting Eberflus go in front of the media and talk about being confident in his job security just hours before firing him is the mark of a larger organizational problem. Perpetuating this cycle that has superseded regimes is the mark of a larger problem. 

General manager Ryan Poles said when he was hired in 2022 that he was brought to Chicago to break cycles. As promising as this roster has looked, Poles and the organization haven’t delivered.

Though the operation is the same right now, the Bears will have one last chance to right the ship with whoever they bring in. Their next head coaching hire will perhaps be the most important in the team’s century-long history.

As a silver lining, it’ll most probably be the most productive opening of this cycle league-wide. It’s as of now, with the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets also having head coach openings. Chicago is by far the best option with the roster and quarterback they currently have. 

The Bears must not rest on that alone to woo a top coaching candidate, however. They cannot fall into the trap of thinking a coach will come because of the prestige of the franchise or even the roster of players in place. 

The organization must continue to do things it has never done before in order to yield different results. It must pull together all the money and resources it can muster. 

Then — less quantifiably, but most importantly — it has to get the right guy for the job.

Carmen Vitali is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow her at @CarmieV.

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