Tag: Matt Eberflus

Charles Davis openly questioned the Bears for letting Caleb Williams get hurt in a 20-point loss

Matt Eberflus deserves to get fired for letting Caleb Williams get hurt alone.

There was only one way the Chicago Bears’ pitiful effort in a 29-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals could get worse. No, I’m not talking about demotivational speeches from head coach Matt Eberflus. It’s about Caleb Williams getting hurt in any possible manner.

And unsurprisingly, even in a dangerous game like football, the Bears did it to themselves.

With Chicago playing out the string of its blowout defeat, the Bears weirdly kept Caleb Williams in. Even worse, they kept having him throw passes, exposing him to potential injury in a game the Bears had already clearly lost. Williams would get hurt, and he held his leg before slowly limping off the field.

This was a decision that CBS’s color commentator Charles Davis openly criticized on the broadcast:

I understand the idea of letting Williams get reps and development time, even when the outcome is already set in stone. He needs that just like any other young quarterback. But Williams was under siege basically all game. He got sacked six times. There’s minimal benefit to him throwing a few more passes behind a terrible offensive line instead of living to fight another day.

If Williams is seriously hurt — you know, the only long-term hope this franchise has right now — Eberflus and his coaches may have just cemented their fate as people who should probably be fired. And soon.

UPDATE: Williams said he actually tweaked his ankle, then had it “gator-rolled” at the end of the game. He appears to be OK.

Matt Eberflus had an uninspired message to Bears players after a disappointing half vs. the Cardinals

Matt Eberflus is a phony, overmatched loser.

The Chicago Bears had an opportunity to show they weren’t going to let their disastrous Hail Mary loss define their season. Instead, after an embarrassing first half against the Arizona Cardinals, it sure seems like they’ve given up on doofus head coach Matt Eberflus altogether.

And after hearing Eberflus’ vapid message to his players after they gave up another backbreaking end-of-half touchdown to make the deficit 21-9, it’s not hard to see why.

In an interview with CBS’s Evan Washburn, Eberflus said he told his players, “This is the score, but we have each other.”

I swear, I’m not making that up. It’s on video and everything! The Bears really do have a glorified substitute gym teacher coaching a professional football team:

After a week of Bears players openly calling out Eberflus’ lack of accountability for their loss to the Washington Commanders, it’s really easy to see that they don’t believe in him at all if these are his halftime “motivational speeches.”

Think about it.

If I’m rolling my eyes seeing that video of Eberflus (remember that I’m just a football writer on the internet), what are talented, multimillionaire professionals like Caleb Williams and Jaylon Johnson doing?

In case you didn’t think this before, the Bears’ once-promising 2024 season is quickly spiraling down the drain.

Tyrique Stevenson pulled himself out of Bears practice after getting demoted for Hail Mary fail

The Tyrique Stevenson situation shows the Bears are on the brink of a crisis.

The aftermath of the Chicago Bears’ Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders has somehow managed to endure an entire week in the news cycle. That’s bad news for head coach Matt Eberflus, whose coaching mismanagement and lack of clear accountability have created what feels like an extremely volatile locker-room culture in Chicago right now.

The Bears’ current relationship with Tyrique Stevenson — the easy scapegoat for loss to the Commanders — is the only example needed.

On Sunday, Fox’s Jay Glazer reported that Stevenson pulled himself out of Bears practice early this week after learning he would be demoted for Chicago’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. While Stevenson certainly isn’t the only one to blame, that’s a terrible and immature look for a young player already being hung out to dry for letting his teammates down.

It’s just not how you respond in a situation like this:

Woof. How Stevenson is even allowed in the Bears’ locker room today is beyond me. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Chicago might be fighting for its season against the Cardinals. And a loss might truly torpedo whatever goodwill and unity there still was.

UPDATE: Per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Stevenson’s demotion was apparently much more tame than originally reported on a national scale. This now probably reflects much worse on the Bears’ leadership for letting it come out that initial first way.

Matt Eberflus finally took responsibility for Bears’ Hail Mary loss after 3 press conferences and 1 job rumor

The Bears’ Matt Eberflus is in cowardly self-preservation mode.

After the Chicago Bears suffered a humiliating Hail Mary defeat to the Washington Commanders on Sunday, head coach Matt Eberflus did NOT take the high road.

Even when it was clear that his young, ascending team gutted out a win with grit and sandpaper only for Eberflus’ questionable late-game coaching decisions to throw it all away, the third-year coach instead blamed Bears players for their “execution.” A day later, Eberflus doubled down like a true football doofus while effectively watching several Bears leaders like tight end Cole Kmet criticize a complacent culture or, in Jaylon Johnson’s case, refuse to blame anyone.

On Wednesday, as the Bears began their preparations for the Arizona Cardinals, Eberflus finally did it. He finally admitted that he royally screwed up and threw away a win his team fought so hard for.

Hmm, the timing is a little curious, don’t you think?

In case you really think that Eberflus has turned a corner after acknowledging he let his players down for the fourth time over the last two seasons where they had a 90-plus percent win expectancy in the final moments, I’m here to pour a bucket of cold water on any such suggestion.

First and foremost, if Eberflus had been sincere about having his players’ backs, he would’ve taken responsibility for his glaring absence of leadership right away after the Commanders loss. There would’ve been no hesitation. He would’ve fallen on his sword, and while there’d still be criticism, he’d at least have the respect of taking accountability like a highly paid professional adult.

Instead, Eberflus undoubtedly saw Kmet, Johnson, scapegoat Tyrique Stevenson, and D.J. Moore all question late-game decisions by the Bears coaching staff in public and decided he needed to do cowardly damage control. For that reason, he does not get credit for admitting the obvious days later as the Bears become a national punchline again.

The other key point here is that Eberflus’ late-game blunders were so glaring that they turned the heat up on his coaching seat. Eberflus is just 3-17 on the road during his Bears coaching career. He has never won a road game on a Sunday. Chicago, with a talented roster led by Caleb Williams, is in win-now mode. And anything short of a Bears playoff berth and a decent showing in the said postseason will almost certainly mean that Eberflus loses his job this winter.

How do I know this?

MMQB’s Albert Breer was on Chicago’s ESPN radio affiliate the morning after the Bears’ devastating loss, floating the possibility of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson perhaps coaching the Bears soon. Should Johnson choose to leave Detroit, he will easily be the most sought-after head coaching candidate in this upcoming hiring cycle.

While this is just speculation, it’s no coincidence that someone fed this information to Breer (Bears general manager Ryan Poles, perhaps?) right after Eberflus pushed all the wrong buttons in front of the entire football-watching country:

So, you tell me.

Did Eberflus’ heart grow three sizes on Wednesday? Or did he realize he’s gotta do some brazen, bare minimum troubleshooting to keep his Bears’ ship from completely sinking before they inevitably go 8-9 and he loses his job?

For my money, this Eberflus mea culpa is too little, too late. And he likely knows it, too.

Cole Kmet calling out the Bears for laziness over Hail Mary is bleak for Matt Eberflus’ coaching future

Matt Eberflus’ future looks bleak after the Bears’ stunning loss.

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:

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.

Caleb Williams was visibly frustrated with the Bears’ defensive approach before Commanders Hail Mary

Caleb Williams was infuriated by the Bears’ stunning choke job.

It’s the morning after the Washington Commanders’ shocking Hail Mary win, and the Chicago Bears sure seem like they’re all out of sorts.

Where head coach Matt Eberflus blamed Bears players for their “execution” before Dan Quinn directly contradicted his late-game coaching approach, superstar cornerback Jaylon Johnson refused to blame anyone for the loss.

But the main Bears person in focus here should be No. 1 pick quarterback Caleb Williams.

While Williams also did not scapegoat anyone in his postgame press conference, two separate videos show that the bright young quarterback was visibly frustrated with how the Bears approached Washington’s final Hail Mary possession.

In the first, you can see Williams near the top of the screen trying to get any of the Bears’ defenders on the field to come up and defend a key quick out to Terry McLaurin. In fact, it’s literally what Williams motions to when the CBS camera finally centers on him.

Naturally, no one listened:

The second video was just as telling.

With CBS’s camera focused on Williams’ reaction while watching Jayden Daniels throw and complete the Hail Mary, the Bears quarterback romps off the field in disgust, seemingly going off on a tirade about someone’s mistake (it could’ve also been the missed holding calls).

Some might say that, with his overall terrible game, Williams hasn’t earned the right to be this openly incensed. But, again, it’s worth noting that he didn’t actually blast anyone in public, and even with a poor three quarters of play to start, Williams engineered not one but two touchdown-worthy possessions on the road against a quality team in the final moments.

Williams is the leader and emotional pulse of the Bears, who gutted out a tough almost-win despite not bringing their A-game. Anyone would be just as upset by how Chicago blew it if they were in his shoes.

Dan Quinn struck down Matt Eberflus’ incorrect stance on Commanders’ pre-Hail Mary play

As usual, Matt Eberflus doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus insists he did nothing wrong to set up the Washington Commanders’ Hail Mary, even though all evidence points to the contrary. (He should take notes from Jaylon Johnson’s quality leadership.)

But beyond Eberflus’ poor coaching on the actual Hail Mary, he insisted that a 13-yard completion to Terry McLaurin right before didn’t “really matter.” Eberflus is so incorrect because this sequence, of course, was absolutely necessary to help put Washington in a position where its Hail Mary attempt was even feasible.

It’s even more telling when Commanders head coach Dan Quinn went as far as to say that the pass was “the one you need.” The difference in quality coaching approach between the two teams couldn’t be more stark:

The Commanders are 6-2 and in pole position for the NFC East division title because Quinn understands every little yard counts. The Bears are 4-3, in firm fourth place in the NFC North, because their coach doesn’t act that way. It couldn’t be more clear.

Jaylon Johnson took the high road to explain Bears’ pitiful Hail Mary defense

Jaylon Johnson is a great Bears leader and an even better teammate.

In the aftermath of a disastrous defeat squeezed out of the jaws of victory, it’s telling how people react to failure.

For example, there’s the Chicago Bears’ Matt Eberflus. The third-year coach put on a late-game disaster class to set up the Washington Commanders’ stunning Hail Mary win. And instead of falling on his sword, Eberflus decided to blame his players for their “execution.” That should tell you everything about him as a coach.

Then there’s Jaylon Johnson. He’s the Bears’ best player, a veritable All-Pro, and arguably the NFL’s top cornerback. Rather than follow Eberflus’ example, the superstar defender decided that the emotional aftermath of a tough defeat was not the time to throw anyone under the bus (Tyrique Stevenson, come on down!) under any circumstances.

Johnson’s explanation about what went wrong after the Bears’ loss says as much:

Man, that’s a great teammate right there. Because even while Johnson says he doesn’t know whose job it was to cover the back of the end zone, there’s a very high likelihood he had already seen the viral video of Stevenson trash-talking Commanders fans. But, because Johnson is mature and secure enough in his status as a star player, he understands it’s better to keep things in-house rather than tearing down a teammate in public.

Take notes, Matt Eberflus. Your best player is an actual leader.

Matt Eberflus gutlessly blamed Bears players’ execution instead of himself on Commanders Hail Mary

The Bears’ Matt Eberflus is a pathetic excuse for a leader.

After the Chicago Bears’ stunning loss to the Washington Commanders, thanks to Jayden Daniels’ heroic Hail Mary, you would’ve thought Matt Eberflus might actually take responsibility for his poor late-game coaching decisions.

You would’ve been dead wrong.

To start his postgame press conference, Eberflus discussed the wild final play that led to the Bears’ third loss of 2024. Rather than say he failed to put his players in an optimal position to succeed — a cookie-cutter comment that doesn’t really mean anything but is expected of any leader — Eberflus chalked up the Bears’ failure to … poor execution on the part of his players.

I’m all for holding dudes accountable. But that’s not the time nor the place. You absolutely have to fall on the sword there if you’re Eberflus:

https://twitter.com/_MarcusD3_/status/1850692971282231376

It’s just a terrible look for an ostensible leader of some of the best athletes in the world.

Matt Eberflus’ inexcusable late-game coaching for Bears set up the Commanders’ Hail Mary

Matt Eberflus put on a coaching disasterclass to set up the Commanders’ Hail Mary win.

With how discombobulated they played, the Chicago Bears had no business beating the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Then, led by Caleb Williams, they scored an unanswered 15 points and held a 15-12 lead with just 23 seconds left. In almost every situation, it should’ve been a surefire victory from then on.

Then Chicago head Matt Eberflus’ decision-making reared its ugly head to set up Jayden Daniels’ heroic, game-winning Hail Mary. (Wait, was there a hold?)

First, Eberflus’ mandate around a prevent defense literally gifted Washington a free 13 yards to get closer for a reasonable deep shot. (Why would you ever let them get closer for free?) Then, rather than call any of his three timeouts to organize the Chicago defense and get everyone set up in an optimal way, Eberflus let things lie, setting up ideal circumstances for Daniels to have nearly 13 seconds of time before launching his desperate, game-winning throw.

This was especially problematic because Eberflus had linebacker T.J. Edwards lined up as a quarterback spy (ON A HAIL MARY) while also keeping some of his shorter defenders on the field. The Bears would then only rush three players. That’s not abnormal for a Hail Mary. What is abnormal is that Montez Sweat — Chicago’s best pass-rusher by far — was not on the field. Oh, and the Bears’ players on the field really let someone get behind them on a last-ditch play.

Basically, if Eberflus had used ANY of his timeouts, he would’ve likely prevented the perfect conditions for a Hail Mary.

Eberflus’ reaction on the sideline after the fact almost understates his completely inept failure to prepare his team with the game on the line:

The Bears had no business winning this game. But a heroic effort from their defense and a gutsy finish by their quarterback had them in position to steal it. Then Eberflus’ late-game coaching decisions threw it all away.

Eberflus is now 3-17 on the road in his Bears coaching career. He just might not be built for this.