The Chicago Bears’ Thanksgiving collapse against the Detroit Lions should mark the end of Matt Eberflus’ time as head coach.
The Bears have now dropped six consecutive games, all of which arguably could have been avoided with better coaching decisions.
The poor clock management during the final drive on Thursday highlighted the ongoing issues. Trailing by three and in field goal range, the Bears failed to use their final timeout after a sack on quarterback Caleb Williams.
Instead, valuable seconds ticked away as the offense scrambled to run another play, only for time to expire before they could even attempt a field goal. To make matters worse, the Bears had wasted a timeout earlier in the drive when it wasn’t necessary, frustrating their rookie quarterback, who visibly expressed his discontent with the sideline. Later, as Williams struggled to get up after the sack, Eberflus stood by without intervening.
This debacle, broadcast on a national stage during Thanksgiving, was an embarrassing moment for the franchise and may finally prompt the change Bears fans have been demanding. With the team on a short week before their next game on December 8, now is the ideal time to make a coaching change. The Bears could use the final five games of the season to evaluate offensive coordinator Thomas Brown as an interim head coach.
While it’s an unfortunate situation, it’s clear that keeping Eberflus for the rest of the season would only waste more games. After 12 disappointing outings in 2024, the writing is on the wall. The pressure on Eberflus has never been greater, and it’s now up to the front office and ownership to make the necessary move.
