Is Lions debacle final straw for Matt Eberflus?

Bears overreactions: Is Lions debacle final straw for Matt Eberflus? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Justin Fields returned Sunday in Detroit, and the Bears physically dominated the NFC North-leading Lions for 54 minutes.

Then everything unraveled in the blink of an eye as the Bears blew a 12-point lead in the final 4:15. It was a historic loss on several levels.

It was a meltdown of epic proportions that should lead to some difficult conversations about the direction of the rebuild and who the foundational pieces — both player and coach — should be.

That’s where we start this week’s mailbag. With Matt Eberflus’ future and how much the Detroit debacle might impact it:

This is singlehandedly the most inept coaching regime in team history. 3 delay of game penalties and zero timeouts used to save the drives. They’re not helping Fields. They went into a shell to not lose in the second half. How they still have employment is beyond me.

— Jason Lenhoff (@jrlen43) November 20, 2023

You can name off a variety of reasons why Flus has to go. But going winless against the NFC North (and teams with a winning record) is reason enough.

— RanSandy (@RanSandy825) November 20, 2023

Overreaction? It can’t be at this point

I’ve been pretty convinced that Matt Eberflus’ job is safe. I think there are a number of reasons to believe he gets Year 3.

General manager Ryan Poles genuinely seems to think he’s the right man for the job. The defensive improvement since Eberflus has taken over the reins can’t be ignored. I also don’t think the Bears hold last year’s 3-14 season against him. How could they?

But if there’s one thing that can turn the tide, it might be what happened in Detroit. That was inexcusable on a multitude of levels.

The Bears played not to lose once they entered the fourth quarter.

The Bears opened the final frame by not converting a third-and-1 on a quarterback sneak. Eberflus went for it on two fourth downs earlier in the game but elected to take the field goal…

..

Read More

You might like