The Chicago Bears aren’t getting much national attention lately. That isn’t a surprise. They’re 4-8 and well out of the playoff picture. However, conversations around the team continue because of the uncertain job status of head coach Matt Eberflus. His seven wins in the past 29 games is the worst stretch anybody has ever had in franchise history. That, along with the late-game collapses and sloppy play, has many believing a change is coming once the season ends. Multiple insiders have said he’s all but gone as things stand.
One isn’t entirely sure about that. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN provided his weekly update on what he’s hearing around the NFL. When the subject of Chicago came up, it concerned the Eberflus situation. The sense he gets is that the organization has not thrown in the towel on the head coach yet. They’ve been encouraged by the team’s ongoing willingness to play hard, along with their 4-4 record after an ugly 0-4 start. If the Bears can pull off an upset of Detroit on Sunday, there is a strong belief it could give the head coach momentum to return for a third season.
This is a crucial five-game stretch for the Bears, who are quietly 4-4 over their past eight games after a disastrous 0-4 start. The smoke about coach Matt Eberflus’ future is apparent in league circles. But the feeling among people with the team is that the Bears have improved, Eberflus’ team has continued to play hard for him, he has listened to team leaders when they’ve expressed concerns and — perhaps most importantly — quarterback Justin Fields’ play has been steadier since returning from his thumb injury.
And the Bears really want to beat the Lions this week after blowing a 12-point lead in Detroit two weeks ago (the Lions scored 17 unanswered points to win). The locker room is fired up for this game, and a win would do a lot for both the Bears and Eberflus.
He’s never beaten a team with a winning record as head coach. Detroit is 9-3. He’s 1-9 against the NFC North and has never beaten a quarterback who has made the Pro Bowl. Eberflus knows he must get a 60-minute complete effort from his team to pull off a win. That is something he hasn’t accomplished much. His defense has already given up a lead in the 4th quarter three times this season. Three of the four wins this season came against backup or rookie quarterbacks. All of this gives you an idea of why this game is such an important one in the eyes of team brass.
A win would signal the Bears really have turned a corner under Matt Eberflus. The schedule after this game looks far more manageable, with games against Cleveland, Arizona, and Atlanta. The Browns and Falcons have quarterback issues. Arizona is one of the worst teams in the NFL. A big victory over Detroit could build momentum into four-straight, putting the Bears at 8-9 going into the season finale against Green Bay. That would definitely secure Eberflus’ job for another season.
