4 Bears thoughts entering Week 11 against the Detroit Lions
Thought No. 3: Matt Eberflus will have seven games to keep his job.
One of the best things about the Bears playing on Thursday Night is that you get to watch others play, especially after the Bears' victory. One thing that stood out to me watching last week's games was coaching really matters in the NFL.
Minnesota beat the New Orleans Saints with Josh Dobbs as their starting quarterback following the season-ending injury to Kirk Cousins. Dobbs was acquired from Arizona during the NFL trade deadline, and he is 2-0 since joining the Vikings. Credit to their head coach Kevin O'Connell, who also doubles as their offensive coordinator after a rough start to the season.
The Houston Texans beat the Cincinnati Bengals 30-27 on the road with the rookie CJ Stroud at quarterback. Their rookie head coach is DeMeco Ryans, a former star linebacker, who has them at 5-4 now. They are playing well above their talent level, and with the rookie quarterback playing exceptionally, the Bears fans will no doubt wonder if the team should have selected Stroud instead of keeping Fields if he continues to excel.
And no team has benefited from coaching changes than the Las Vegas Raiders following the firing of Josh McDaniels. Former player Antonio Pierce became an interim head coach and the team is now 2-0 since he took over. The mood and the morale inside the team have significantly improved.
Many Bears fans had to wonder why the other teams always benefitted from having a solid coaching staff whereas we are still stuck with Matt Eberflus. His record sits at 6-21, remains winless against the NFC North, and has yet to win consecutive games under his leadership.
People can talk about how much Fields must show in the next seven games to prove himself. But Eberflu's job is on the line as well even though general manager Ryan Poles praised him, which leads to many believing Eberflus' return in 2024 is all but assured. For those who want him gone, Adam Jahns of The Athletic spoke on ESPN Chicago this week to double down on the possibility of him returning next season following his column predicting his return in 2024.
However, Albert Breer of MMQB gave an interesting take regarding the Bears coaching situation when a Bears fan asked if they are going to move on from Eberflus after the season is over.
Which columnists you choose to believe is up to each individual. But make no mistake. The seven games are equally critical to his future as well. If he goes winless against the NFC North for the second consecutive season, and the team looks unprepared, uncompetitive, and gets blown out, there is no reason to bring him back for next season.
How will Matt Eberflus and particularly offensive coordinator Luke Getsy utilize Fields' skillset bear watching (No pun intended)? Remember earlier this season when Fields already expressed his frustration with how he is being coached and needs to stop thinking too much? As I mentioned earlier, coaching makes a significant difference. Will both coaches make sure Fields is put in a position to succeed? It will go a long way towards saving theirs.