The contrast between the reaction of Chicago Bears players and head coach Matt Eberflus after the team’s stunning Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders couldn’t be more stark.
While Eberflus gutlessly blames his players for the defeat before later offering up a nonsense explanation of his Hail Mary strategy, superstar cornerback Jaylon Johnson elected to take the high road instead of throwing one of his teammates under the bus.
Now, in a very general fashion, star tight end Cole Kmet claims the Bears were lazy all week in preparation for the Commanders, and the disorganized Hail Mary loss was their reward.
That’s not a great sign for Matt Eberflus:
Cole Kmet says the busted Hail Mary coverage is an example of how Bears need to learn how to respect the game.
Said there were even instances in practice leading up to the game where guys were "laying off" and need to respect practice more.
— Alex Shapiro (@AlexShapiroCHSN) October 28, 2024
Kmet elaborated:
If you’re in the weight room are you doing all 6 reps or are you doing 5… When you’re on the field, are you hitting the jugs after practice?… Is your footwork correct in the walkthru? Little things that can’t necessarily be addressed by a coach or a teammate
— Alex Shapiro (@AlexShapiroCHSN) October 28, 2024
Kmet can say these are little things that guys just have to take personal responsibility for. That’s his prerogative. However, the fact of the matter is that if a team is losing its focus and edge on a supposedly grand scale, that is a coaching issue. That falls squarely on Eberflus and his staff for allowing a culture of complacency to settle in after the Bears’ recent three-game winning streak.
The Bears have now lost four games where they had a winning percentage of at least 90 percent in the closing moments dating back to 2023. Mix that up with a franchise player like Kmet saying everyone was being lazy, and you’ve got the recipe for a head coach to be on the hot seat.
The Bears have one of the NFL’s most difficult schedules over their 10 next games. Eberflus better hope this whole gettable Commanders fiasco doesn’t cost him his job.