Every explosion has a moment when the fuse is lit. Matt Eberflus’ firing didn’t just fall out of the sky. We all saw how it ended on that fateful afternoon in Detroit. Failing to call that last timeout was merely the final straw in a string of blunders that cost him his job as Chicago Bears head coach. The more interesting question is where did it begin. There are plenty of contenders. Overseeing a 14-game losing streak is one possibility. Coughing up three double-digit leads in the 4th quarter is another.
However, it appears there was a singular breaking point. According to Adam Jahns and Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the turning point came in the game against the Washington Commanders. No, it wasn’t the Hail Mary. It was the play before. Players were irate when Eberflus called a soft coverage that allowed Washington to pick up an easy 13 yards, making their subsequent final pass much easier getting toward the end zone. If that weren’t bad enough, what sealed it was Eberflus dismissing the play as unimportant.
Players accepted that, but what didn’t sit well with some team leaders was Eberflus avoiding accountability for his own coaching errors. Players pointed to the play before the Hail Mary. Eberflus allowed Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels to complete a 13-yard pass on the penultimate play and then didn’t call a timeout before the Hail Mary to discuss his defense and calm emotions.
When he was asked about it by reporters, Eberflus downplayed the importance of Daniels’ 13-yard completion to receiver Terry McLaurin and even double-downed on his decision, which many believe was among the mistakes.
“That didn’t sit well in the locker room,” a player said.
“It didn’t go over right,” the second player said. “That week is when he lost the defensive guys.”
After that game, he had no way to change his message so that it would resonate with players. He gave the same canned nonsense he’d been spewing since first arriving in 2022. Guys were done. The coach refused to take accountability for his mistakes, and by the time he started trying, it was way too late. Players knew he was a fraud and stopped listening to him. The defense took a considerable step back. After not allowing 400 or more yards in any of the first six games, they’ve done it three times since. They’ve also forced only six turnovers since the bye and have plummeted to 25th against the run.
People will inevitably try to downplay everything. They will say Matt Eberflus got handed a challenging rebuild project with an unfair window to start winning. The reality is that is a load of crap. Eberflus was given a talented defense, two talented quarterbacks, and favorable stretches of schedule each of the past two years. Good coaches would’ve taken advantage. Instead, he’s 5-19 in one-score games. You can’t blame that on talent. Eberflus is a bad head coach. Period. End of story.
