5 Thoughts following the Chicago Bears 41-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs
Thought No. 1: Matt Eberflus officially sealed his fate as the head coach
Stop me if you've heard this before. Soft zone coverage fails again for the Bears.
Even with Matt Eberflus taking over as the defensive coordinator, the results were the same. The Bears have spent a ton of money on FA signings and used most of their early-round draft picks on defense the last 2 years.
Yet, the defensive linemen and linebackers were getting handled by the Chiefs offensive line in the run game. It did not help that they were doing a horrific job of tackling in open space too. Once again, they did not generate anything notable in the pass rush. His zone defense allowed tight end Travis Kelce to be open throughout the game, and it took him a while to switch up to man coverage, but it was too late. It is ironic that despite the defensive upgrade, his defense has regressed so badly.
The Bears defense over the last two seasons combined under Matt Eberflus:
— Ollie Connolly (@OllieConnolly) September 24, 2023
- 32nd in EPA/Play
- 32nd in Dropback EPA/Play
- 32nd in pressure rate
- 32nd in pressure rate w/ four-man rush
- 32nd in sacks per game
- 32nd in yards conceded per coverage snap pic.twitter.com/5GzOO3hjJd
It is ironic yet fitting that his defense officially sealed his fate as the head coach. Eberflus is done as the head coach and is a dead man walking. Much like previous predecessors, Mark Trestman, John Fox, and Matt Nagy. It is not a matter of if but when.
Eberflus postgame soundbite adds more anger and frustration for the fans, who are done with him.
Matt Eberflus: "I'm not making excuses, because we should be farther ahead. But we are playing together for the first time, practicing together for the first time. We're going to see it come together."
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) September 25, 2023
He says "I am not making an excuse", yet he makes one about playing and practicing together for the first time. Isn't that what OTAs and training camps are for? Is he admitting that they did not do a good job preparing his team incorporating all the new players signed in free agency and in the draft? And at 0-3, what makes you think this team is going to turn the corner soon?
He is proving to be a lot worse than Marc Trestman and that is truly something. All the empty talks of how the locker room is tight and how they can overcome adversity means nothing. His record is now 3-17, having lost 13 games now dating back to last year. As if it was not bad enough, the Arizona Cardinals, the team many thought was actively tanking For Caleb Williams, shocked the Dallas Cowboys, and the Houston Texans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road.
The blowout loss in Kansas City proved that the Bears are the worst team in the NFL right now, and Eberflus officially sealed his fate as the Bears head coach.