The Chicago Bears have found so many ways to lose games this season that it is not even funny. But it has become a talking point among the NFL teams on how not to beat themselves up and lose the game.
We still remember how the Bears lost to Washington Commanders on a Hail Mary. But the play that gained 13 yards to set up the Hail Mary, which former head coach Matt Eberflus arrogantly said that those yards did not matter.
Many teams definitely took note of the whole sequence.
As if that was not enough, Eberflus gave us Bears fans another painful loss on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions. The Bears had a chance to win or send the game to overtime with more than 30 seconds left and one timeout left. Eberflus did not even call a timeout and forced Williams to adjust the play and threw an incomplete pass to Rome Odunze to end the game.
Not only did Eberflus' decision draw strong criticism from many NFL experts, it has become an example for many NFL teams on how not to lose the way the Bears have the day after the game.
Jerod Mayo says he called director of game management Evan Rothstein right after the Bears’ game yesterday to discuss what they would’ve done (he says he would’ve handled it differently) pic.twitter.com/gzWQCEocaM
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) November 29, 2024
Fans have the right to be outraged by the Bears organization for allowing Eberflus to conduct what turned out to be his final presser. They finally did the right thing, but the way they flubbed the whole process is the epitome of how dysfunctional and incompetent they have become nationally.
Both Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren now must own their decision-making process and explain what went through their process in making the decision to fire Eberflus.
The Bears have been relegated to a national punching bag these days and removing Ebeflus alone will not change that perception anytime soon.