The Latest Matt Eberflus Presser Felt Eerily Familiar

So many things about last week’s loss to Washington felt wrong. It was evident that the Commanders weren’t a far superior football team. The Chicago Bears played them tough all game, slowing down their supposedly unstoppable offense. Unfortunately, it became evident early that Washington had a far better game plan from the coaching staff. Then, right as the Bears rallied to get the lead with 25 seconds left, head coach Matt Eberflus made two baffling decisions that helped lead to the now infamous Hail Mary.

He refused to play tighter coverage on the play prior, giving the Commanders a free 13 yards. Then he didn’t call a timeout when it was clear Tyrique Stevenson wasn’t paying attention to the final play, resulting in a coverage breakdown. Eberflus dodged any responsibility after the game, saying they needed better execution. However, he seemed to change his tune three days later at his Wednesday press conference. His opening monologue was the usual stuff until he stated this line.

“Again, it’s all about accountability and execution, and that starts with me. The game didn’t finish the way we wanted it to.”

Sound familiar? It should. Bears fans have heard those exact words before.

Matt Nagy in 2019 after loss in London to the Raiders

“It’s a situation where, for me as the leader, everything starts with me. So with these players, with the coaches, it all begins there”

Matt Eberflus is starting to dangerously mirror Matt Nagy.

Specifically, he is developing a habit of talking about accountability and never actually taking any. That became a trademark of Nagy’s time in Chicago. Too often, he blamed players for many of the problems that befell the Bears during the three seasons following his great first year in 2018. It soon led to guys questioning decisions out in the open, undermining the authority and credibility of the coaching staff. It seemed like problems that bedeviled the team early in the season never got fixed.

These are all things that are becoming a habit for Matt Eberflus as well. It starts with the constant breakdowns late in games to give up leads, the lack of identity or cohesion on offense, and now, players are speaking out against the decisions made by the coaches. Not just any players, either—the actual team captains like D.J. Moore, Kevin Byard, and Jaylon Johnson. Problems that haunted this team in October of 2023 are still haunting them in October of 2024. Eberflus says it starts with him, but he isn’t doing anything to fix it.

Just like Nagy.