Commentary: Matt Eberflus is on the hot seat |
Three weeks into the 2024 NFL season, you could make the case that this has been the strangest start to an NFL season in recent memory. Seeing the Chiefs and Bills sitting at 3-0 shouldn't surprise anyone, but seeing the Seahawks, Vikings, and Steelers at 3-0 is a massive surprise, especially when Justin Fields is the new QB in Pittsburgh.
Then you look at the rest of the league, where you have the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys sitting at 1-2, the Jacksonville Jags sitting at 0-2, and several teams who have gotten off to a slow start that has fans calling for changes already. The Chicago Bears are one of those teams as their 1-2 start has gotten fans into stressful mode and are calling for some changes. One of those changes is removing Matt Eberflus from his head coaching duties, as it is becoming more clear that he isn't the right man for the job. Following his loss to the Colts on Sunday, Eberflus has fallen to 1-2. If he wasn't on the hot seat before, he is now, as he continues to be one of the favorites to be the first coach fired this season should something happen in the middle of the season. Seeing Eberflus on the hot seat shouldn't shock fans, as he was on the hot seat most of last year until a 5-2 finish to the season earned him some more time and saved his job. Then came this offseason, when the Bears not only drafted Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze but also made several other offensive signings to set this team up for the most success possible. The problem is that the success hasn't translated, and at some point, you need to look at the head coach as the root of the problem. Eberflus has always been known as one of the best defensive coordinators in the game, and while that may be true, not all coordinators are cut out to be head coaches. Eberflus could be another one of those guys who thrives as a coordinator, not just a head coach. Considering the Bears' overall history and the fact that they have never fired a coach midseason before, don't expect that to happen this season. However, a lot of things have happened that could make this happen for the first time. First and foremost, you have to look at the coaching hires Eberflus has made since taking over, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Not only did they hire an unproven OC in Luke Getsy, who struggled to call games over two seasons, but they also brought in Shane Waldron, who wasn't viewed as a top-flight OC during his time in Seattle. Although Waldron has had a bit more success than Getsy in the early going, there are a lot of similarities between the two, and that alone has hampered this offense, whether it be Fields or Williams under center. With the weapons the Bears have acquired this offseason, there is no excuse for their dull play. That comes down to the playcalling from the OC. That playcalling is a direct result of another Eberflus hire, as he doesn't seem to have a great feel for an offensive-minded guy. You then look at the defensive side, where his defensive coordinator, Alan Williams, was fired three games into the season last year after conduct detrimental to the team. Eberflus took over calling plays the rest of the season. Even with a new defensive coordinator this year, Eberflus is still calling the defense, and at some point, you need to trust your coordinators and let them do the job. Along with poor coaching hires, you have poor in-game management, which is evident by him wasting timeouts what seems like every game. I don't know if he realizes this, but timeouts are valuable, especially late in the game, and they shouldn't be wasted as much as he has been wasting them. There were several cases last season where Eberflus lost a challenge and didn't have timeouts late in the game or wasted timeouts early in a half when he couldn't challenge with the game on the line. Those wasted timeouts could be the difference between a win and a loss, and the losses are continuing to pile up for Eberflus. With 14 games left in the regular season, Eberflus still has plenty of time to turn things around, especially when you look at their upcoming schedule, where they should be favored in four, if not five, of their next six. If the Bears are going to make a run, now is the time to do it, as they could put themselves in a great position come November. However, should the lackluster and inconsistent play continue over the next six games, the current hot seat that Eberflus is on will start to melt, as he will be as good as gone at that point. Don't expect anything to change quite yet, but some changes could come sooner rather than later if things don't change.
