One good thing about Matt Eberflus as head coach of the Chicago Bears has been his consistency. His message has never changed since he took over. If this team wants to get better, it must embrace the core principles: hustle, intensity, a turnover mindset, and smarts. It may seem corny when dubbed the H.I.T.S principle, but the primary message is correct. Teams that play the hardest, control the football, and don’t make mistakes win the most games. It appears players began to fully embrace it last season, and as a result, the team had a strong 5-4 finish.
Now, it appears Eberflus has decided to raise the bar further. He stood before the locker room at the start of voluntary minicamps in May. He first expressed gratitude for guys showing up, which isn’t always true for some. Then he got serious. Eberflus made it clear that after the big off-season the Bears had, this is no longer a rebuilding team. At least not in his eyes. It was time for everybody to embrace the actual goal. It was time to start thinking about the Super Bowl, and the head coach made his emotions clear on that subject in the latest episode of 1920 Football Drive.
This should give you an idea of how much it matters to him. He wants to win. The man suffered through two difficult years trying to get this roster in the right place. Thanks to his efforts and that of GM Ryan Poles, the Bears have Pro Bowl-caliber talent at almost every position. There is a good mix of veterans and youth. They have the #1 overall pick, Caleb Williams, surrounded by legitimate, pass-catching talent. Eberflus’ defense returns almost every starter from last season and might even be deeper than a year ago.
Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. Chicago still sits in a loaded NFC North division. Williams is a rookie. Health has been an up-and-down issue for the team. Still, Matt Eberflus is smart enough to know that the time is right to issue the challenge. He needs to get his guys thinking championship right now, even if they’re not quite ready on paper. The talent is there. However, they must have the right mindset to truly reach the mountaintop. Once they start believing a Super Bowl is possible, it will manifest.
