Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has had some rough moments in his tenure with the team, but Thursday’s loss to the Detroit Lions may take the cake.
The Bears had the ball near midfield with an opportunity to tie the game or even take the lead, but after Caleb Williams was sacked, the team’s offense seemingly was in scramble mode trying to set up a formation as the clock ticked down from 36 seconds.
The Bears only managed one more play, an incomplete pass intended for Rome Odunze, and the Lions escaped with the victory.
The problem? The Bears had a timeout left, and Eberflus did not call it.
The loss adds to another staggering statistic for Eberflus, who is now 5-19 in one-score games during his career with the Bears. According to the Associated Press, Eberflus is now one of 221 NFL coaches who have coached at least 20 games decided by seven points or less.
His 5-17 record? The worst of any of those 221 coaches.
That list now includes four games that almost defy belief. It started with a Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders, and was followed by a blocked field goal by the Green Bay Packers. An overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings followed, and now the Bears have dropped yet another heartbreaking game.
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The indecision by Eberflus has led many fans and media members to question whether it’s time to move on from Eberflus, but the Bears have never fired a coach midseason in their history, so it’s unclear whether they would take the step now.
If Eberflus is still coaching the Bears in their next game, they’ll have to wait until Dec. 8 when they travel to the Bay Area to take on the San Francisco 49ers.
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