Four mistakes that lost the game for the Bears: Coach Matt Eberflus has some explaining to do after Hail Mary meltdown

Matt Eberflus went 10-24 in his first two years as head coach of the Chicago Bears.

This season the team was entering a new era — out with quarterback Justin Fields, in with quarterback Caleb Williams, who the Bears took with the No. 1 overall pick. Ownership believed enough in Eberflus to give him more time to show he is a championship level coach.

And maybe Eberflus proves to be just that.

If he does, he will have to overcome — quickly — Sunday’s late-game coaching and team execution meltdown that didn’t just lead to an 18-15 loss to Washington and didn’t just drop the Bears to 4-3 on the season, but has the potential to linger in the locker room and define the season.

Eberflus needs to make sure the final two plays of the loss don’t define his coaching career.

To recap, Washington had the ball, first and 10, on their own 35-yard-line with just six seconds remaining with no time outs. Chicago led, 15-12, so Washington needed a touchdown.

The Commanders were too far from the end zone for a Hail Mary but had just enough time remaining to grab 8, 10, 12 yards and get out of bounds and try a final heave.

Chicago went into Hail Mary coverage anyway, ceding the short sideline, which Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Jayden Daniels seized on. They got the ball to Terry McLaurin on the left sideline for 13 yards in four seconds. Now they were on the edge of Hail Mary range — their own 48 — with two seconds remaining.

Eberflus after the game shrugged the decision to not defend the short sideline, as many teams do.

“You’re defending touchdown there,” the coach said. “And them throwing the ball for 13 yards or 10 yards, whatever that is, doesn’t really matter. It’s always going to come down to that last play.”

Those 13 yards were important, though, because Daniels can’t chuck a ball 75-80 yards — as would’ve been previously required. The dismissal of the importance is undermined by Eberflus standing on the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/four-mistakes-that-lost-the-game-for-the-bears-coach-matt-eberflus-has-some-explaining-to-do-after-hail-mary-meltdown-173837141.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-10-28 17:38:37

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