Tag: Matt Eberflus

Bears coach Matt Eberflus is protesting to the NFL that the refs missed a penalty on the Packers’ winning FG block

Did the Packers get away with one there?

The Chicago Bears had themselves yet another stunning defeat in a season full of them on Sunday. This time, they fell as the Green Bay Packers blocked a would-be, game-winning field goal by Cairo Santos.

In the aftermath of the loss, Bears coach Matt Eberflus defended his decision to kick the 46-yard attempt rather than run an additional play. But come Monday, Eberflus turned his attention to another aspect of that blocked field goal:

He thinks the refs missed a penalty.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Eberflus is turning video over to the league to argue that the officials missed a penalty on the Packers for illegally initiating contact with the long snapper.

NFL rules prohibit defenders from making contact with the long snapper when his head is down and within one second of the snap. And sure, Eberflus does appear to be right as contact was made on long snapper Scott Daly in a vulnerable position.

But what is he hoping to accomplish by protesting to the league? The game is over. That’s not going to change.

By protesting the call, it just brings more focus on his decision to kick before they needed to. That won’t help him at all with Bears fans or his players.

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Montez Sweat sounded so disheartened after the Bears blew another winnable game under Matt Eberflus

Montez Sweat can’t believe how inept the Bears are.

Over the last few weeks, as their 2024 season spirals down the drain, the Chicago Bears have found very creative ways to lose football games.

On Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, it was Matt Eberflus refusing to direct his team to play more competitive offense with plenty of time on the clock after incredible late-game heroics from Caleb Williams. It shows that even in a year where they showed so much promise at the start, the Bears have not been able to shake the specter of their woeful coaching.

As the Bears continue to tumble down the NFC standings, Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat said he can’t believe how Chicago manages to continue blowing winnable games. In fact, the 28-year-old star defender went as far as to say that he’s never seen a football team as futile as the Bears in crunch-time situations to this point:

Ouch. When you see Sweat make these kinds of statements, it is a good reminder that he played for the Dan Snyder Washington Commanders, which was one of the most hopeless operations in NFL history. If Sweat really thinks the way the Bears have sometimes lost in 2024 is worse than that, Chicago’s rock bottom might be an abyss.

And while I know football isn’t played in a vacuum, if Eberflus had managed the Bears’ losses to the Packers and Washington Commanders better, they would be the NFC’s sixth seed right now. Now that really stings.

Matt Eberflus ruined Caleb Williams’ heroics (again) before the Packers’ late FG block

Caleb Williams deserves so much better than the NFL’s worst coach.

For the second time in a month, Caleb Williams inconceivably put the Chicago Bears in a position to win in the final moments of a close game against the Green Bay Packers. And for the second time in a month (remember that disastrous Hail Mary defense?), Matt Eberflus seemingly did everything possible to throw it all away with horrific game management.

Let’s take it to the Bears’ fateful last possession, with Chicago down 20-19.

Williams broke contain after taking back-to-back sacks to set up a 3rd-and-19 and found Rome Odunze for a dart of 16-yard pass. Then, on fourth and short, Williams delivered a magical 21-yard back-shoulder pass to Odunze to keep the Bears’ hopes alive.

Please note the clock after Odunze catches the ball. There is 1:27 left. Even with the Bears in a good position for a potential game-winning field goal at the Packers’ 42-yard line, this would’ve not been the time to turtle for a rational team. Instead, Chicago officially ran just two more offensive plays after this sequence — a short 12-yard pass to Keenan Allen along with a Roschon Johnson run right up the middle to nowhere.

The key distinction here is what happened after Allen’s catch. When the Packers took a timeout with 35 seconds left, Chicago probably should’ve run a couple more real plays to get closer to a game-winning attempt for kicker Cairo Santos. The Bears even had a timeout in their back pocket in a worst-case scenario. Williams deserved to help his team more after being the one to put the Bears in position to win with his heroics in the first place.

Instead, Eberflus had the Bears completely turtle and settle for a 46-yard field goal. Now, listen, 46 yards for professional kickers is very doable. That is an attempt a professional kicker should make a majority of the time without breaking a sweat. But the thing is, the Bears could’ve gotten closer and had plenty of time to do so. The football gods do not smile upon that kind of conservative thinking.

Eberflus forced the Bears to stop playing, and he got what he deserved when Santos’ kick was blocked:

The actual margin in talent between most NFL teams is minimal. If you look at the scoreboard every week, most games finish within one score for a reason. That’s what makes a coach’s game management paramount — especially in the clutch — because every strategic decision counts. They are often the literal difference between winning and losing.

That is now twice in a month where Eberflus has let the Bears and Caleb Williams down with a genuinely foolish end-game thought process right after Williams put his teammates on his back. It’s why the overmatched coach has to be fired at all costs — and sooner rather than later — for Williams’ talents to really flourish on a potentially great Bears team in the future.

Caleb Williams actually apologized to Bears teammates for his part in Shane Waldron’s firing

Kudos to Caleb Williams for acting like a mature adult.

It’s been a tumultuous few weeks for the Chicago Bears. They haven’t scored a touchdown since before Halloween, they haven’t won a game since mid-October, and head coach Matt Eberflus’ seat is now scorching hot after the dismissal of former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

However, part of the microscope still has to center on No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. While there were flashes of Williams’ individual talent and gifts in the early season, the hopeful franchise quarterback has been a shell of himself as the Bears offense has cratered at midseason. For reasons related to him (and his general supporting circumstances), Williams has not looked like the player many believed would pull Chicago out of the NFC’s basement. He should really know “it’s not his fault.”

And as reported by Fox’s Jay Glazer, Williams did not shy away from this reality. He apparently apologized to the Bears for playing so poorly lately that he helped Waldron get fired:

I give credit to Williams for acknowledging the elephant in the room and taking some responsibility as the quarterback of the team. This is especially the case in knowing that it isn’t all his fault. Still, in the end, the NFL is a results-driven business. Actions speak so much louder than words.

For the Bears, it’d be nice if Williams started backing up these kinds of gestures with stellar play on the field.

Matt Eberflus’ initial plan for fired Bears OC Shane Waldron shows why he still really needs to go

Matt Eberflus has no idea what he’s doing.

After an alarming three-game losing streak, the crumbling Chicago Bears had to do something like fire now-former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Maintaining the status quo would’ve only deepened the Bears’ malaise.

But let’s not beat around the bush.

Until further notice, head coach Matt Eberflus still has to go, too.

Right now. Not in a week. Not sometime next month. Not the likely day after the 2024 season because the Bears have strangely never fired a coach midseason. Right. Now.

Beyond the mountain of evidence we already have that Eberflus isn’t fit to coach a professional football team, he somehow gave us another telling display of incompetence while firing his first official scapegoat. If left to his devices, it’s apparent he’ll only do more damage to a team that has seemingly already quit on him.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Eberflus’ initial plan to change things up in Chicago was simply moving Waldron’s place up to the booth during Bears games. (He stayed on the sideline during the action.) Ah, yes, letting Waldron see more of the field from a bird eye’s view while still calling broken plays with no sense or rhythm would be the ticket.

That was his “big” change, dearest readers.

My goodness. Eberflus could not be more in over his head:

It’s unclear what happened to change Eberflus’ mind before eventually firing Waldron. During staff meetings, someone perhaps might have been in his ear before switching to the right decision. But the mere fact that Eberflus still initially wanted the same person running an irreparable offensive scheme from another place in stadiums shows exactly why he should no longer be the Bears’ coach.

Don’t be surprised when Eberflus gets eight more weeks from one of the NFL’s most dysfunctional organizations anyway.

Adam Schefter threw cold water on idea of Ben Johnson becoming Bears head coach in 2025

Would Ben Johnson really coach the Bears? Adam Schefter is doubtful.

As a firestorm of controversy engulfs incumbent Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, some folks have already connected the dots about red-hot Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson potentially coaching the Bears in 2025.

But during a conversation on ESPN’s Get Up Thursday morning, Adam Schefter was (rightfully) unsure that Johnson would leave a perfect situation in Detroit only to expose himself to the Bears’ rampant dysfunction. Honestly, given how the Bears have continually got in their own way over the years, Schefter makes a great point.

Even coaching the talented Caleb Williams can’t be that attractive for a coordinator who could have a head-coaching job absolutely anywhere he wants:

While it’s worth noting that Schefter isn’t exactly reporting anything here — which doesn’t rule out the possibility of Johnson coming to Chicago — everything he says does ring true.

Should Johnson choose to leave Detroit this winter, he will be one of the hottest NFL head-coaching candidates in a long time. And with a candidate like that, everyone with an opening will want to bring Johnson to their organization. But that doesn’t mean he’ll seriously entertain everyone. Johnson is so exceptional that he can afford to be patient selective.

If he takes an interview, it’s probably with the intent of eventually taking that job. And in that regard, why would Johnson potentially sink himself by coming to the Bears? It doesn’t make much sense.

Buckle up, Bears fans. Something tells me this little saga is just getting started.

D.J. Moore’s excuse for walking off field mid-play directly contradicts Matt Eberflus’ explanation

What’s this all about?

After the Chicago Bears’ uninspired, lazy effort against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday, the football world turned its ire to No. 1 receiver D.J. Moore for seemingly quitting on Chicago by walking off the field in the middle of a play. It was a terrible look for one of the Bears’ leaders in the wake of a tough couple of weeks for the team.

Moore’s explanation for the sequence doesn’t make things any better. At all.

On Wednesday, Bears media reporters asked Moore to clarify what happened on the play. He claimed he got hurt (which appears to be true) and that … “momentum” (?) carried him out of bounds even when he saw Caleb Williams was still scrambling around, looking for an open receiver. Moore, of course, kind of just trailed off before denying that the online conversation about the play meant anything.

Something doesn’t add up here because that’s not what the video of the play shows with Moore slowing down (who comes to a full stop then turns out of bounds), either:

Hmm. OK. Let’s say we buy that Moore was purely injured and couldn’t beat the laws of physics. Sure, whatever. Then why did Bears head coach Matt Eberflus initially say that Moore walked off the field because a referee threw their hat down, signaling that he was an “ineligible receiver”?

More from Pro Football Talk:

“I’m not sure the exact play but I do know that one play he [Moore] stepped out of bounds, and I think the side judge threw his hat, he was out, so I believe that’s what happened,” Eberflus said. “I have to watch the play specifically but I think that might be the play you’re talking about. I don’t know exact play, what you’re talking about, but somebody did make a comment to me. I have to go back and look at it.”

He “believes” that’s what happened? I wouldn’t exactly say Eberflus was confident in his answer, either. And it’s worth noting he didn’t mention anything about Moore’s ankle until days later:

Yeah, while I’m sure Moore might have really rolled his ankle, none of this feels like it tracks.

If the Bears had been on the same page, they might have had their stories straight, and no one would have batted an eyelash. But that’s not the case. Between Eberflus meekly attributing the sequence to something about being an ineligible receiver only to later walk that explanation back and Moore claiming he couldn’t beat the laws of physics on a play where he walked off in a casual manner, it sure seems like Moore did leave the Bears’ offense to its own devices. I’m just connecting the dots.

However, anyone admitting that in public would be a horrific development for a Bears season already going off the rails. And they know that. So, next time, maybe Eberflus and Moore meet up to talk about what they will say to the media. That would be the prudent thing to do for a united team.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure Eberflus has that pull with any of his players right now.

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D.J. Moore walking off field mid-play shows Bears really are quitting on Matt Eberflus

D.J. Moore really quit on the Bears in the middle of a play.

In case it wasn’t clear, D.J. Moore is unhappy with the Chicago Bears’ direction under offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. But it sure seems like he’s pretty frustrated with fledgling head coach Matt Eberflus, too.

How else could you possibly explain Moore seemingly quitting on a Bears’ offensive play … as it was still happening?!

A replay of an early first-quarter sequence in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals shows Moore apparently tweaking something and walking off the field to sit on the bench as Caleb Williams was still orchestrating a Chicago scramble drill. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before from an NFL player, let alone from someone with a star reputation like Moore.

I understand Moore might have been hurt and is likely a little frustrated by the Bears’ offense this year. But I can’t excuse a player walking off the field mid-play. And none of the potential excuses really add up for me, either.

Did Moore think Williams stepped out of bounds? I don’t think so because he’s staring right at him as he spins back toward the field.

Did Moore perhaps step out of bounds and thus take himself off because he would’ve been an ineligible receiver? This is more plausible, but the margins from where Moore was standing are so minuscule that you keep playing and take the penalty after the fact, only if necessary. It’s almost like he’d be looking for an excuse to leave early.

Unless you’re seriously hurt, you play to the whistle. Always and without question.

Was Moore dialed in with Williams and his other offensive teammates?

OK, well, this is probably the one and the whole point of me writing a few hundred words about this instance. It’s the first quarter of your first game after a disastrous Hail Mary loss. Not coming prepared to play so much that you kind of just wave the white flag on a play because of a lack of engagement is unacceptable. It speaks to a rotten culture the Bears have let persist.

I already thought the Bears’ players quit on Eberflus with their generally pathetic effort on Sunday. To me, this Moore play — from one of the apparent leaders on the team — is damning evidence of that assessment.

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D.J. Moore answered question about Bears’ playcaller changes like a true politician

D.J. Moore is clearly unhappy with the Bears’ coaches.

A once-promising season for the 2024 Chicago Bears is now in a full-on tailspin. After Sunday’s pathetic effort against the Arizona Cardinals in a blowout loss, it seems pretty apparent that Bears players have begun quitting on milquetoast head coach Matt Eberflus.

One of the biggest reasons for the Bears’ struggles lately — and really, all season — has been an inept offense with no rhyme or reason. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron (who also calls the plays) has overseen an attack that has scored seven total first-quarter points all season. Over the last two weeks alone, the Bears’ offense somehow made the Washington Commanders’ and Cardinals’ awful defenses look like stout juggernauts.

But if you ask receiver D.J. Moore about whether someone else should call the plays for the Bears’ offense moving forward — as Chicago radio station 670 The Score did on Monday morning — he thinks it won’t happen.

Hey, wait a minute. The question was about whether they should, not whether they will. Oh. Got it:

D.J. Moore knows exactly what he’s doing when he doesn’t really address the question there. He’s subtly inserting his opinion that Waldron hasn’t been good enough by explaining why he won’t be replaced without actually saying it in certain terms. Spoken like a true politician.

Beyond the Bears’ offense’s general issues, it’s not hard to see why Moore would be frustrated. As a genuine No. 1 receiver, Chicago hasn’t found a way to involve its best playmaker consistently and productively all season. A year after catching nearly 100 passes for over 1,300 yards, Moore is on pace for less than 800 yards in 2024 while averaging just over 10 yards a catch.

(Note: The same principle applies to talented tight end Cole Kmet, who weirdly has just one target over the last two weeks after being on a Pro Bowl-caliber pace through the Bears’ first six games.)

You tell me what’s more likely. Did a 27-year-old elite receiver like Moore suddenly fall off a cliff, or does his new offensive coordinator have no idea how to utilize him?

Hmm, a real tough one here.

It’s no wonder Moore didn’t endorse Waldron and instead said why the Bears won’t move any chairs on their ship deck around. He’s exasperated with his role and how his unit is playing, and I can’t blame him.

Matt Eberflus’ coaching seat is red hot after Bears’ pathetic effort vs. Cardinals

The Bears openly quitting on Matt Eberflus shows it’s time to fire him.

The best time for the Chicago Bears to fire head coach Matt Eberflus was in January 2024, after he plodded his way to a middling 7-10 record as the organization set itself up to draft Caleb Williams in April. The next best time to fire Matt Eberflus is … right now after the Bears clearly quit on the overmatched coach in an embarrassing 29-9 loss against the Arizona Cardinals because he almost always throws them under the bus in public for his mistakes.

The worst and most predictable time to fire Eberflus will be on Monday, January 6, 2025, when the Bears let this glorified football doofus get another nine games to recklessly damage Williams’ future because the NFL’s charter franchise values not firing coaches midseason as some perverse badge of pride.

If the Bears have any self-respect left and want the Williams era to be bright, competitive, and filled with glorious success in winter after winter, it’s time to swallow the bitter pill and send Eberflus packing.

Chicago leadership cannot let a man who thinks like this (note: Williams was under siege behind an awful offensive line all game in Arizona) to continue coaching their team:

They’ll deny it in public with their words, but Bears players made their opinion on the Eberflus matter very clear with their actions after a devastating Hail Mary loss last weekend. By turning in a pitiful effort from top to bottom against the Cardinals, the Bears showed they were done with Eberflus offering empty, vapid platitudes from the jump.

Where do I even begin? (Takes a deep breath.)

The Bears committed not one but two penalties on Arizona field goal attempts, one of which gifted the Cardinals a fresh set of downs and led to a touchdown. Nothing is more undisciplined in football than special teams penalties that give the opposition a clean slate. The Bears did it twice. Strike one. For a coach whose calling card is effort and defense, Arizona’s offense ran through the Bears like melted butter to the tune of 213 team rushing yards. The Bears, even without Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat, have roughly a gajillion dollars and high-end draft picks invested in their defense.

So, you tell me if that rushing defense is effort or talent? Strike two.

Don’t worry. It gets worse. It just keeps going.

Entering their matchup, the Cardinals had one of the NFL’s worst defenses. (Just like the Washington Commanders last week.) You’d never know it while watching the Bears and Williams fail to establish any discernible rhythm for three hours. The game plan, in this regard, was even worse. Cole Kmet went from a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end dominating the middle of the field a few weeks ago to one total target in his last two games. Meanwhile, the ghost of Keenan Allen is still tracking down aimless deep passes somewhere that he can’t reach anymore on another unfathomable target in his direction. If not for his ankle injury, I’d also estimate that Williams was still waiting for any Bears receiver, any at all, to come back to the ball on scramble drills he’s forced to induce behind his patchwork offensive line. Strike three.

If this general malaise wasn’t enough, the Bears gave up the longest end-of-half touchdown run this millennium. Strike … four?

Dearest readers, that sort of thing doesn’t happen unless a team stops playing:

In mid-October, this Bears season had potential. Chicago looked like a dark horse NFC contender. Williams was a world-beater, and as a rookie, no less. An elite defense laden with talent was firing on all cylinders. Then Eberflus botched a Hail Mary defensive strategy in the worst way possible before taking zero sincere accountability for his failure in a fashion that incensed his locker room.

His players responded in kind: they “quiet quit” and threatened to tank all of the good vibes of a once-promising season now being taken out to pasture.

As my friend Christian D’Andrea puts it, the parallels to ex-Bears coach Matt Nagy once losing his mind over the “Double Doink” are too much to ignore:

The cold comfort for Chicago is every loss takes them closer to the end of the Eberflus era, closing the door on a head coach who never quite seemed to grasp the gravity his job entailed. Nagy had the Double Doink. Eberflus had the world’s worst Hail Mary defense. Barring an unlikely turnaround, that will be his legacy.

The Bears cannot pretend to care about winning if they let Eberflus continue this charade any longer. The crux of the matter is he likely ended any positive potential for his head-coaching career the moment Noah Brown caught that touchdown in Washington, D.C.

For the sake of any part of Chicago’s still-good roster, it’s time to send Eberflus to the unemployment line.