Nobody expected Matt Eberflus to be in this position before the end of his second season. The veteran coach felt like somebody who could recreate some of Lovie Smith’s success with the Chicago Bears. Both were built the same way, focused on effort, intensity, and discipline. However, this is a reminder that chasing the past never goes well for a franchise. Smith won 11 games in his second season. Eberflus has won six total since taking over the Bears last year. What’s worse is he has a better quarterback situation than Smith.
Despite all this, there were no indications that Eberflus was all but out the door. Reports from behind the scenes indicated a calm situation at Halas Hall. GM Ryan Poles voiced full public support for the embattled coach. Everything seemed at least stable going into Detroit last week. Then Eberflus fostered another epic 4th quarter collapse, coughing up a 12-point lead with four minutes to play. Bill Barnwell of ESPN believes this was a devastating blow to the coach’s job security.
“For Eberflus, this was a double whammy. The Bears hired the 53-year-old from the Colts in 2022 after he built a series of solid defenses. He had his full complement of players on Sunday — including standout cornerback Jaylon Johnson, free agent addition Tremaine Edmunds and trade acquisition Montez Sweat — and got a solid performance from his defense for most of the game. The Bears seemed powerless to stop the Lions, though, on those final two drives of the game.
More disconcertingly, Eberflus helped the Lions back into it by managing the game like a coach who was afraid to lose. The Bears kicked four field goals, leaving the door open for Detroit launch the exact sort of late comeback it did in the fourth quarter. Against a coach in Campbell who seems to relish taking shots (that almost always align with what the data suggests), Eberflus didn’t manage the big picture effectively and helped cost his team the game.”
What makes it so much worse for him is how he’s been losing these games. It started with a double-digit loss at home to the hated Green Bay Packers. That is never a good sign. Then the Bears were demolished 41-10 in Kansas City against a Chiefs team that doesn’t have a great offense this year. It only got worse from there. They built a 28-7 lead against Denver and fell apart in the 4th quarter to lose 31-28. A myriad of 4th quarter turnovers cost them a winnable game in New Orleans. Now you have the disaster in Detroit on top of everything.
It’s impossible to point out what Matt Eberflus brings to the table. His coaching is way too conservative. He doesn’t manage situational football well. The team is undisciplined in key moments. If that weren’t enough, his defense in 29th in points allowed. That is supposed to be his specialty. He has no leg to stand on. The only thing in his favor is the Bears don’t like to fire head coaches after only two seasons. If that is the one reason for keeping him employed, it likely won’t be enough to save him come January. His only hope is to put together a string of victories over the final six weeks.
