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Matt Eberflus

Cowboys Hire Brian Schottenheimer As HC; Matt Eberflus Being Eyed For DC

January 24th, 2025 at 8:46pm CST by Ely Allen

After a relatively short search, the Cowboys have officially made the decision to promote offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer into the role of head coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Schottenheimer, 51, was one of only four candidates who interviewed for the position and will now be working his first-ever head coaching role. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the deal will be for four years. Although this marks the second straight narrow HC search for the Cowboys, Schottenheimer was not a candidate anywhere else — and has not been for several years. He was believed to be vying for the role with OC predecessor Kellen Moore, after the likes of Deion Sanders and Jason Witten surfaced as unorthodox candidates. While Schottenheimer supplies far more experience in coaching, his hire may not be too much less surprising than a Sanders or Witten appointment would have been.

Brian Schottenheimer, the son of former standout HC Marty Schottenheimer, has been with the Cowboys for three years now. His first was simply as a consultant, but he was quickly promoted to offensive coordinator when Moore was dismissed. While he inherited an offense that finished third in scoring and 10th in yardage in 2022, the Cowboys finished as the top scoring offense with the fifth-most yards in Schottenheimer’s first season as the team’s OC.

The 2024 Cowboys offense finished 21st in scoring and 17th in total yards, though it’s important to note that Schottenheimer did not call plays during his tenure in Dallas. Dak Prescott also went down midway through the season, gutting the team’s chances at a rebound. While Prescott still stumped for Mike McCarthy to be retained, an unexpected half-measure of sorts is taking place via the Schottenheimer promotion.

This week’s two Schottenheimer interviews and steady rumors notwithstanding, it marks a stunning rise for the second-generation NFL coach. Schottenheimer has, however, been an NFL assistant dating back to the late 1990s and has enjoyed three OC opportunities in the league. He has served as an NFL OC for 11 combined seasons, doing so with the Jets, Rams and Cowboys.

A former backup quarterback behind Danny Wuerffel at Florida under Steve Spurrier, Schottenheimer got his start in the NFL immediately out of college. He started his well-traveled coaching career as a coaching assistant in St. Louis before taking the same job under his father, in Kansas City. The next two years saw him coach wide receivers at Syracuse and tight ends at USC before returning to the NFL for the Washington gig. He then coached QBs for four years in San Diego before earning his first offensive coordinator opportunity for the Jets.

After six seasons in New York, Schottenheimer received walking papers midway through Rex Ryan‘s tenure. Schottenheimer ended up as Jeff Fisher‘s first OC in St. Louis (in 2012), leaving after the 2014 season to take the same job under Mark Richt at Georgia. Following Richt’s dismissal, Schottenheimer returned to the NFL as the Colts’ quarterbacks coach in 2016, staying for only two years before scoring his next coordinator opportunity with the Seahawks. Despite relative success in Seattle, Schottenheimer was fired due to “philosophical differences.” He rebounded for a year as passing game coordinator in Jacksonville before arriving in Dallas in 2022.

Schottenheimer’s history as a play-caller has been rocky. In stints with the Jets, Rams, Seahawks, and Jaguars where he called plays, Schottenheimer was often criticized for conservative play-calling. The “philosophical differences” in Seattle was externally perceived as a limitation of Russell Wilson‘s athletic and improvisational style with questionable play-calling. That said, Wilson’s Hall of Fame case will certainly hinge on his post-Legion of Boom work in Seattle; Schottenheimer played a big part in that period of the decorated QB’s career. Criticism toward Seattle’s then-OC aside, the Seahawks ranked as a top-10 offense in each season and went 3-for-3 in playoff appearances in that span.

Any method to spin this in a positive direction, however, may be difficult due to another odd HC transition under Jerry Jones taking place. Schottenheimer’s hiring after a quick interview process continues what’s been a questionable string of decisions by the Cowboys’ owner/president/general manager.

While Schottenheimer could certainly work out in the job, Jones’ seemingly lazy handling of the decision not to extend McCarthy’s contract is a continuance of inaction that saw over-inflated extensions for Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb as a result of rising market costs from extensions that got done earlier. Jones’ tendency to wait on important decisions, as he did when waiting to drop Jason Garrett after the 2019 season, continues to limit the team’s options and handicap their leverage in negotiations.

In addition to news about the head coaching hire, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has reported that the team has homed in on former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus as their prime candidate to serve as defensive coordinator under Schottenheimer. Some beat reporters for the team mistakenly reported that Eberflus had been hired to the position, but as Ed Werder of WFAA notes, they are required to conduct interviews before making the final decision to hire a candidate. The Cowboys must meet with at least one external minority candidate before an Eberflus hire can take place.

Regardless of the unusual route the Cowboys took to make this happen, Schottenheimer becomes the 10th head coach in the franchise’s storied history. Schottenheimer follows some big names for the position in Dallas, and expectations will be for him to turn around a franchise that has seen continued regular-season success but has not been to an NFC championship game in 30 years — the longest such drought in the conference by a significant margin.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Falcons Interview Matt Eberflus For Defensive Coordinator Job

January 18th, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Ben Levine

It might not take long for Matt Eberflus to find his next gig. The Falcons announced that they interviewed the former Bears head coach for their defensive coordinator job.

After getting fired by the Bears in late November, it didn’t take long for Eberflus to pop back up during the hiring cycle. Reports tied him to the DC vacancy in Cincinnati, although there hasn’t been word of a definitive interview. Now, he’s a candidate with the Falcons, who have been seeking a replacement for Jimmy Lake.

Eberflus would bring plenty of experience to the role. After working his way up the college ranks, he got his first NFL gig with the Browns coaching linebackers. He held that same title with the Cowboys before getting hired as the Colts defensive coordinator in 2018. Indy’s defense finished top-10 in points allowed in three of the coach’s four seasons at the helm, and Eberflus quickly became a popular head coaching candidate.

He got that opportunity in Chicago, where he was named the Bears head coach in 2022. Eberflus squeezed only three wins out of his team during his first season, but he guided the squad to seven wins in 2023. Armed with first-overall pick Caleb Williams and a handful of notable offseason acquisitions, the Bears were prepared to take another step forward in 2024. After riding a 4-2 record into their Week 7 bye, the Bears proceeded to go on an epic losing streak. Eberflus was let go six games into the Bears’ eventual 10-game skid.

It sounds like Eberflus’ stint in Chicago didn’t tarnish his reputation, and he’ll now join a growing list of candidates to coach the Falcons’ defense. As our 2025 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker shows, the Falcons have now interviewed seven candidates for the DC job:

2025 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

January 17th, 2025 at 10:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, half the league changed up at offensive and defensive coordinator. As most HC-needy teams have now filled their open positions, the coordinator carousel will accelerate. Here is how the market looks now. When other teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-25-25 (9:15pm CT)

Offensive coordinators

Chicago Bears (Out: Chris Beatty)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Ken Dorsey)

Detroit Lions (Out: Ben Johnson)

Houston Texans (Out: Bobby Slowik)

New England Patriots (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

New York Jets (Out: Nathaniel Hackett)

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Ryan Grubb)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Liam Coen)

Defensive coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Jimmy Lake)

Chicago Bears (Out: Eric Washington)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Lou Anarumo)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Mike Zimmer)

Detroit Lions (Out: Aaron Glenn)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Gus Bradley)

New England Patriots (Out: DeMarcus Covington)

  • Ryan Crow, outside linebackers coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/21
  • Terrell Williams, defensive line coach (Lions): Hired

New York Jets (Out: Jeff Ulbrich)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Nick Sorensen)

Matt Eberflus “Involved” In Bengals’ DC Search

January 10th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus doesn’t appear to be staying inactive for long. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Eberflus “is involved in the Bengals’ defensive coordinator search.” While the wording of the report is vague, it likely indicates that Eberflus is a candidate to take over for the Bengals’ open coordinator job.

Eberflus has held some position in coaching since he finished college in 1992, so it’s no surprise that, following his dismissal from Chicago, he’s put himself back on the market for a coaching job. After nearly 20 years of coaching at the collegiate level at Toledo and Missouri, Eberflus first broke into the NFL as a linebackers coach for the Browns in 2009. He held the same job in Dallas for five years before adding passing game coordinator to his title.

In 2018, Eberflus got his first opportunity as an NFL defensive coordinator in Indianapolis. Eberflus almost immediately started getting head coaching buzz, interviewing for an open position in Cleveland in 2019, but that job ultimately went to Freddie Kitchens. Instead, Eberflus remained in Indianapolis until 2022, when he was granted his first head coaching opportunity in Chicago.

The Bears saw big improvements on defense over Eberflus’ three seasons with the team, but offensive struggles continued as Chicago attempted to handle the first few years of Justin Fields‘ career and eventually moved on to Caleb Williams. The Bears made Eberflus the first head coach in the franchise’s storied history to be fired midseason. Overall, Eberflus went 14-32 in his first stint as a head coach.

The Bengals fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo after watching a defense that finished 26th in scoring defense and 25th in yards allowed derail a season that saw a top-10 offense in which their quarterback led the league in passing yards and touchdowns and their wide receiver won the receiving triple crown. Anarumo had been in place as the Bengals DC ever since Zac Taylor was hired as head coach.

If Eberflus lands on his feet as a defensive coordinator once again, it would be only his second coordinator job in the NFL. Still, the Bengals are desperate to see improvement on the defensive side of the ball in order to maximize what they hope will be at least one more year with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.

Bears Considering Thomas Brown For Full-Time HC Post; Latest On Matt Eberflus’ Firing

December 4th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Over the past seven offseasons, only one team (the Raiders) has moved an interim HC to the full-time post. Antonio Pierce is 2-10 to start his stay in that role. The Bears are still high on their interim option and are planning to give him a true look.

Thomas Brown will be considered to replace Matt Eberflus on a full-time basis, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes. The team has bumped Brown from pass-game coordinator to OC to interim HC over the past month, representing a significant bounce back for a staffer who had been a one-and-done Panthers OC.

The Bears moved the 38-year-old coach into this role after making their first in-season firing, booting Eberflus soon after he was allowed to speak with media the morning after a late-game breakdown in a narrow Thanksgiving loss. Eberflus’ tense postgame meeting with players has been well chronicled, with several — most notably cornerback Jaylon Johnson — speaking up about the nature of the loss to the division-leading Lions. Johnson cut off Eberflus mid-speech, Cronin adds, with a profane rant eventually leading to the three-year HC’s exit from the locker room.

Eberflus offered explanations to the press about the sequence that cost the Bears a chance to attempt a game-tying field goal in Detroit, doubling down Friday in his last comments as Bears HC. He had defended the decision not to call a timeout as the offense slowly operated while the clock ticked into single digits, and while Bears brass met about Eberflus’ future during his speech, Cronin indicates his Friday presser had “zero” impact on the firing.

Still, the optics of Eberflus speaking to the media at 9am CT and then being canned not long after did not paint a portrait of stability. Bears president Kevin Warren soon admitted the team could have handled this situation better. Warren said (via 670 The Score’s David Haugh) the team was trying to be respectful when asked why the team let its HC address reporters roughly 90 minutes before his ouster. Warren has gone on to say the Bears’ job will be the most desired on next year’s market. Unlike the Jets’ Robert Saleh firing, which went around then-GM Joe Douglas, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager confirms GM Ryan Poles was part of the Friday-morning meeting that sealed Eberflus’ fate.

The Bears are not firing Poles, who was initially hired two days before Eberflus. Poles did not have a chance to run that search, only offering late input into the process. Warren and Poles were believed to have a good relationship, and that report has preceded the president — whom the Bears hired after their Poles and Eberflus hirings — giving his GM the reins in the team’s latest HC search. The heat will certainly be on Poles if this next hire fails, but for now, his seat is fairly cool.

Chicago is expected to target an offensive-minded coach to work with Caleb Williams. Teams regularly pivot in the other direction after a firing, and the team’s offense-defense yo-yo would continue in that event. Dating back to Lovie Smith, the team has gone defense-offense-defense-offense-defense — in terms of coaching background — with its past five hires (Smith, Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, Eberflus). A lean toward offense will give Brown a shot, and while a source told Cronin that Brown is the “real deal,” the modern NFL rarely sees teams give interims strong consideration. Pierce’s struggles offer another warning.

In terms of outside hires, Lions OC Ben Johnson and Commanders play-caller Kliff Kingsbury, per Cronin, are indeed viewed as candidates. We heard as much Sunday, with Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman also coming up. Warren’s past as a college commissioner could certainly make him more open to such a hire.

Johnson has been connected to the team for a bit now, and the selective coordinator will again be courted by most (if not all) of the HC-needy teams. Kingsbury did coach Williams, but the Bears already passed on him for their OC gig this year to hire Shane Waldron. An eight-hour meeting — one previously viewed as somewhat of an intel-gathering session on Williams, rather than a true interview about the job — led to Kingsbury exploring other jobs.

The Bears also passed on Brown for that job initially, but he has gained considerable ground after initially signing on in a lower role. A convoluted Panthers plan impacted Brown’s first OC foray, as the Panthers attempted to blend Sean McVay‘s offense with Frank Reich‘s. Brown was in the crosshairs, being elevated to a play-calling role before being demoted before once again calling plays — during a 2-15 Panthers season — once Reich was fired. This season has brought more significant changes to Brown’s job description, but the ex-Rams position coach does appear to have more momentum now than he did coming off the Carolina one-and-done.

More On Bears’ Decision To Fire Matt Eberflus

November 30th, 2024 at 10:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Matt Eberflus became the first Bears head coach in franchise history to get canned in-season. Considering the long list of questionable calls and demoralizing losses, the move didn’t come as a complete surprise…especially to those in the building.

[RELATED: Bears Fire Matt Eberflus]

According to Adam Jahns and Dianna Russini of The Athletic, players were especially “furious” following Chicago’s loss on Thursday. Many players questioned Eberflus’s decision to not call a timeout before the last play, with team captain Jaylon Johnson described as especially “emotional.”

“We felt as players it’s been too many instances where we fought our way back into games to lose because of bad time management and decision-making,” one player told The Athletic.

One staffer noted that the post-game locker room “was ugly” and featured “a lot of yelling.” While Eberflus tried calming down his squad with a speech, he didn’t hang around while his players continued to fume. Eberflus’s uncharacteristic exit from the locker room could have also been due to the presence of team president Kevin Warren, who notably hung around the team much longer than usual following the Thanksgiving debacle.

The locker room outburst appeared to be a long time coming. As The Athletic notes, Ebereflus’s recent attempts to take accountability for the team’s mounting losses appeared to be “insincere” and countered his differing tone from earlier in the season. While the now-former HC also tried saving face by firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, there were many in the locker room who believed Waldron wasn’t the right choice from the get-go.

Specifically, the offensive coordinator came in and installed a “pure progression passing system,” a concept that’s difficult for any QB. With Caleb Williams leading the way under center, some players voiced concerns that the staff wasn’t putting the rookie in a position to succeed. It went beyond the passing offense, as well; Waldron scrapped “two years of progress under offensive line coach Chris Morgan” by completely revamping the team’s running attack.

“Where they messed up was with Shane and making him the coordinator to begin with,” one player told The Athletic.

Chicago had a 4-2 record heading into the bye week, and the team’s demise was surely a collective effort. Still, Eberflus was going to be the clear scapegoat. Curiously, Eberflus met with the media hours before his firing. The Athletic notes that Morgan, chairman George McCaskey, and GM Ryan Poles were still meeting during that scheduled press conference, and the trio didn’t want to signal that “something big was happening” by cancelling Eberflus’s presser.

We’ve heard from Eberflus for the first time since the aforementioned press conference. The former HC released a statement this morning (h/t NBCChicago.com):

“I would like to thank the McCaskey family and Ryan Poles for the opportunity to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears … I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the players for all of their effort, dedication and resilience. In every situation – practice, games and especially in the face of adversity, you stayed together and gave great effort for your team and each other … What I am most proud of was the way you carried yourself both on and off the field and represented the Bears organization with class in the community … To the fans, thank you for your support and passion. I will always have a deep appreciation for the Bears organization and the city of Chicago.”

If there’s any silver lining, there seems to be growing optimism surrounding interim head coach Thomas Brown. The team’s former passing game coordinator was promoted to OC following Waldron’s firing, and The Athletic notes that the coach’s “communication style and leadership skills earned the respect of players and staff.”

Bears Fire Matt Eberflus

November 29th, 2024 at 10:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

Matt Eberflus offered the public remarks often made by head coaches on the hot seat in the wake of the Bears’ most recent loss. The franchise is nevertheless making an unprecedented in-season change on the sidelines.

Eberflus has been fired, as first reported by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. His tenure in Chicago comes to an end after two-plus years at the helm of the team. He compiled a 14-32 record along the way, and the latest contribution to the team’s current six-game losing streak has marked the end of his first NFL head coaching gig. Recently-promoted offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will serve as interim head coach, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network adds.

[RELATED: Fallout From Bears’ Eberflus Firing]

Eberflus had a strong four-year run as the Colts’ defensive coordinator before being hired by the Bears to replace Matt Nagy. The 54-year-old was unable to guide the team to a run of success in two seasons with Justin Fields at quarterback, although during the second half of last year in particular the defense did show signs of improvement. A number of moves made this past offseason added new faces on offense, highlighted by the decision to move on from Fields and select Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. The latter’s rookie season has been marred by a string of close losses in recent weeks, several of which have increased the speculation Eberflus would not last the year.

Chicago had a 4-2 record heading into the bye week, an indication the team would at least be competitive in what has proven to be a very strong NFC North. The Bears lost to the Commanders on a Hail Mary (during which cornerback Tyrique Stevenson joined Eberflus in receiving considerable blame) in Week 8, however, and that marked the beginning of the current streak. Low-scoring defeats against the Cardinals and Patriots led to a play-calling change on offense, with Brown taking over from Shane Waldron as OC.

Williams’ play has generally improved since that move was made, but narrow losses to the Packers (on a blocked field goal), Vikings (in overtime) and Lions (during which the Bears mismanaged the situation at the end of the game and did not generate at least an attempt at a game-tying field goal) have now left Eberflus out of opportunities to rebound this season. Chicago sits at 4-8 on the year with the postseason no longer a realistic possibility. He defended the manner in which the Thanksgiving game ended yesterday before a brief media availability this morning. Shortly after multiple public appearances – during which, in both cases, he expressed a belief he would be retained – Eberflus is now out of the organization.

Three head coaching vacancies are now present in the NFL. The Jets moved on from Robert Saleh while Dennis Allen was dismissed by the Saints. Eberflus now joins them as a head coach with a defensive background on the lookout for a new opportunity. No shortage of candidates (particularly on the offensive side of the ball) will be involved in the 2025 hiring cycle, likely the earliest point at which Eberflus will join a new staff.

Brown made his NFL coaching debut in 2020 with the Rams. He was a member of Sean McVay‘s staff for three years before taking the Panthers’ OC gig last offseason. The 2023 campaign saw head coach Frank Reich fired amidst changes in play-calling duties with Brown. The latter spent much of the year at the helm, though, and the lack of development shown by quarterback Bryce Young helped lead to his departure. In a very short period of time, Brown has now ascended from passing game coordinator to OC and now, at least for a short-term spell, head coach.

From a big-picture perspective, today’s move represents the continuation of an unwelcomed trend regarding the HC-QB combination in Chicago. Mitch Trubisky spent one season with John Fox before a change on the sidelines was made. Nagy, in turn, spent one year with Fields in place before being dismissed at the end of the 2021 campaign. Now, Eberflus has received less than one full campaign following the Williams selection. The young passer’s development is of course the organization’s top priority, and finding a long-term coach to pair him with for 2025 and beyond will be critical in that process.

In all, Eberflus becomes the fifth Bears head coach to be fired since George McCaskey took over as chairman in 2011. Over that span, Chicago has posted a winning record only twice while cycling through three general managers and another three offensive coordinators. Finding stability will be key moving forward, but the latest attempt on that front will include a new voice on the sidelines.

Eberflus Fallout: Bears, Warren, Brown, Poles

November 29th, 2024 at 9:48pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bears’ Friday coaching change came as a surprise after head coach Matt Eberflus completed his morning media availability before he was fired. The coaching staff “had a normal morning” with their usual postgame meetings after Thursday’s loss to the Lions, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Eberflus spoke to the media, though he was clearly aware of the potential to lose his job.

Meanwhile, chairman George McCaskey, team president Kevin Warren, and general manager Ryan Poles were amidst a multi-hour meeting debating Eberflus’s firing that lasted through his press conference, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The Bears’ decision-makers came to their decision and informed Eberflus so he could tell his staff before they went home for the day.

Here is more fallout from the Bears’ coaching change:

  • Warren remained in the locker room for much longer than usual after Thursday’s loss, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. He spoke with several players, many of whom criticized Eberflus’s decision not to call a timeout before the last play of the game. Whether it was gathering feedback or assuring players that the front office would work to right the ship, those conversations likely factored into Warren’s approval of the firing. However, he was not present when the front office addressed the locker room after the coaching change was announced, per Breer.
  • Warren is expected to be on the search committee when the Bears interview head coach candidates after the regular season, per ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler. He’s had an “active role” in football operations since arriving in Chicago in 2023, according to Kahler. There is even “a perception around the league that Warren is the one making the calls,” indicating that Poles’ job security as general manager could be in question.
  • The scene in the locker room immediately after the game was “pretty ugly”, according to Breer. Players and coaches were frustrated with the team’s inability to close out a comeback after going down 16-0 in the first half.
  • Interim head coach Thomas Brown is well-regarded within the organization after starting the year as pass-game coordinator before taking over as offensive coordinator when Shane Waldron was fired earlier this month. It’s unlikely that Chicago’s first-ever midseason coaching change would install an interim that wasn’t a candidate for the full-time gig after the season is over, according to the Chicago Sun Times’ Patrick Finley. He now has five games to win over the Bears’ locker room and front office to cement his candidacy for a long-term position. If Brown inspires a turnaround, he could convince the team’s decision-makers that he’s the right man for the job before they have a chance to interview any other options.
  • Brown has been “hands on” with Caleb Williams over the last three games, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Williams has averaged 275.7 passing yards in that stretch after averaging fewer than 200 over the team’s first nine games. The team appreciates Brown’s direct approach with Williams and wants to see if it has an impact on the whole team.
  • In addition to monitoring Brown’s potential as head coach, the Bears are still evaluating the rest of the coaching staff over the remainder of the season, per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson.
  • If Brown isn’t able to earn the job, the Bears are expected to target an offensive-minded coach to further Williams’ development, per Cronin. Offensive coordinators like the Lions’ Ben Johnson, the Buccaneers’ Liam Coen, the Falcons’ Zac Robinson, and the Cardinals’ Drew Petzig could all be on Chicago’s short-list.

Matt Eberflus Speaks On Bears Job Security

November 28th, 2024 at 9:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Matt Eberflus avoided losing his job following the 2023 NFL season, though many expected his time in Chicago to come to an end. There was some turnover of staff on the offensive side of the ball, while it was determined that Eberflus would still lead the team and the defense in 2024. Despite a new offensive coordinator and a rookie quarterback drafted No. 1 overall, things have not been much better for the Bears this season. With the pressure on his job continuing to build, mistakes like the one made today continue to spell doubt concerning Eberflus’ future in Chicago.

At the end of the today’s Thanksgiving Day matchup against the division rival Lions, the Bears were looking primed to make an upset. Down three in the waning moments of the fourth quarter with one timeout, Chicago was driving down the field, potentially for a game-winning touchdown but almost certainly for a game-tying field goal that could send the game into overtime, at the very least. Surely, Bears fans held recent memories of a game-ending field goal going horribly wrong only two weeks ago against the Packers, so today’s outcome held little chance of matching that heartbreak.

Little did they know how the game would come to an unceremonious end. At Detroit’s 25-yard line, the Bears completed a pass taking Keenan Allen out of bounds at the 13-yard line with 36 seconds to go, but an illegal use of hands penalty by left guard Teven Jenkins instead moved them back 10 yards. On the next play, Caleb Williams got sacked for a six-yard loss to the 41-yard line. With a 3rd & 26, Chicago needed to, at the very least, get the ball back into workable field goal range to potentially tie the game. It was expected that they would quickly run a play to do so then call their final timeout for the field goal try. Instead, the rookie Williams spent an excessive amount of time organizing the offense for the third down play, letting the clock continue to run down until they snapped the ball with six seconds in the game. By the time Williams’ pass attempt to rookie wideout Rome Odunze fell harmlessly to the ground, the game clock had hit zero and the game was lost.

Following the loss, several players expressed shock that the game came to an end with the team heading home with a timeout in their pocket. According to Adam Jahns of The Athletic, Eberflus delivered a message to his team in the moments after the loss, but most players declined to relay his comments to the media. The media asked Eberflus, directly, if he was concerned with his job security.

“This is the NFL,” Eberflus answered, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “I know where it is. I’m just going to put my best foot forward, and I’m going to get to work and keep grinding. So that’s what we do.” When asked if he expected to be the Bears’ head coach next week, he repeated, “I’m going to keep grinding and working. That’s what I do.”

It’s hard to say that the Bears have been an absolute disaster during Eberflus’ tenure as they’ve been decently competitive despite the poor results. Associated Press sports writer Josh Debow provided the statistic that out of 221 NFL head coaches who have had 20 or more games decided by seven points or fewer, Eberflus’ .227 win percentage (5-17) ranks 221st. More significant to this season, Cronin pointed out that, during Chicago’s six-game losing streak, the Bears are the first team since turnovers were first tracked as a stat in 1933 to not commit multiple turnovers in any of the games in a losing streak of that length.

Those stats point to two concerning facets of the coaching game, the first of which is winning close games. While winning at all is obviously resultant on a team’s talent, winning close games can often come down to game management and decisions made by the coaching staff. The fact that the team is losing close games and losing games while limiting turnovers likely means that the Bears are, for the most part, putting themselves in a position to win. While many factors contribute to a final result, a significant amount of blame is going to fall on Eberflus’ shoulders in these situations.

The axe has already fallen on former Jets head coach Robert Saleh and former Saints head coach Dennis Allen. In an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer predicted that the current number of two firings could end up rising to somewhere around seven to 10 by Black Monday. Breer listed Jacksonville and Dallas as potential destinations needing new leadership, and with today’s loss as an exclamation point, it’s seeming more and more likely that Chicago can be considered, as well.

Matt Eberflus: Bears Evaluating Lineup, Coaching Changes

November 11th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

After the Bears’ Week 10 loss, a new round of questions emerged about offensive changes being made. Head coach Matt Eberflus left the door open to Shane Waldron losing play-calling responsibilities, although a final decision on that front has yet to be made.

“There will be changes, adjustments being made,” Eberflus said when speaking to the media on Monday (via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic). “I’m not going to disclose those right now. I’m not at that point in the process.”

Earlier in the day, Eberflus indicated 24 t0 48 hours will transpire before any changes are formalized (h/t ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). The status of Waldron is a central talking point in this process, and Eberflus has altered course from previous weeks by repeatedly not taking the opportunity to endorse his offensive coordinator. Chicago scored 36 points in Week 5, and another 35 the following game. In three contests since, the team has totaled only 27 points.

Waldron’s first NFL stint took place from 2008-09, and he returned to the pro ranks in 2016. After a single season in Washington, he worked on the Rams’ staff for four years. That was followed by a three-year run as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, one in which Seattle finished ninth in scoring in 2022 and quarterback Geno Smith played his way into franchise quarterback status. Expectations were high for Caleb Williams‘ arrival this year with Waldron replacing Luke Getsy, but things have not gone according to plan.

Williams has topped 200 passing yards four times this season, but he has also posted a sub-54% completion percentage in four games (including each of the past three). This year’s No. 1 pick has been sacked a league-leading 38 times, an illustration in part of his own learning curve and also of the numerous injuries Chicago has dealt with up front. That figure nevertheless reflects poorly on the offense as a whole, a unit which has struggled to find consistency under Waldron.

To little surprise, Eberflus confirmed Williams will remain atop the depth chart moving forward. The 22-year-old’s development is the Bears’ top priority for 2024, although competing for a postseason berth will still be feasible if offensive improvement can take place. Chicago sits 24th in scoring through 10 weeks, but with a 4-5 record the team is still in touching distance of a wild-card berth. As Eberflus navigates a potentially uncertain future regarding his own job security, his decisions over the coming days will be interesting to see.

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