CHICAGO (AP) — In the last 12 years, the Chicago Bears have been accustomed to crises and sporting failures, but what has happened in the 2024 season is different, as with a good defense and the selection of quarterback Caleb Williams as the number 1 pick in the recent NFL Draft, there was a lot of hope to finally change the course of history.
That's why the disappointment and despair of the fans after six consecutive defeats led the "Bears" board to an unprecedented decision in the team's 105-year history: to fire the coach during the season.
On Thursday afternoon, in one of the Thanksgiving Day games, the Bears lost 20-23 to the Lions in Detroit, with another display of ineptitude from Matt Eberflus as head coach. On Friday, the team president, Kevin Warren, and general manager, Ryan Poles, made the decision to fire the criticized coach.
"This morning we informed Matt of our decision to take a different direction in the leadership of our team and the head coach position," said Bears general manager Ryan Poles. "I thank Matt for his hard work, professionalism, and dedication to our organization. We extend our gratitude for his commitment to the Chicago Bears and wish him and his family all the best in the future."
Why did the Bears lose patience with Eberflus?
In the defeat in Detroit, the Bears advanced to the opponent's 25-yard line with 45 seconds left, in a very good position for a tying field goal or a winning touchdown. But a series of mistakes and a sack confused rookie Williams as the seconds ticked away, and inexplicably Eberflus did not use the last timeout he had left. The game ended with an incomplete and miscalculated pass by the quarterback.
The Bears' debacle was in the tone of three of their last six losses: against the Commanders, Packers, and Vikings, which ultimately cost Eberflus his job.
Until the bye week and following a victory in London against the Jaguars, the Chicago team had a record of 4-2 and were full of hope to make it to the playoffs. But things started to fall apart in Week 8 with a loss in Washington due to a Hail Mary touchdown by Jayden Daniels and one of their cornerbacks losing focus by getting into a fight with local fans. It was a national embarrassment, especially when players openly questioned some of the head coach's decisions in that game.
From there, the Bears were crushed the following week in Arizona and humiliated by the Patriots at Soldier Field, when Williams was sacked a personal record of nine times in that game. That's when the first sign of crisis came when Chicago made the decision to fire the mediocre offensive coordinator Shane Waldron (hired by Eberflus) and replaced him with Thomas Brown.
The Bears suffered another heartbreaking defeat in Week 11, against their main rival, the Green Bay Packers, when Cairo Santos' 46-yard field goal attempt was blocked as time expired. At that moment, Eberflus chose to let the clock run instead of trying to shorten the distance with another play.
The head coach's game management was once again an issue the following week in an overtime loss to the Vikings.
The fall in Detroit also seemed to test the players' patience with their coach, and after the game, the phrase from veteran receiver Keenan Allen echoed loudly in the locker room, when he said, "the players did everything to win this game."
In his almost three seasons as head coach of the Bears, Matt Eberflus achieved a poor record of 14 wins and 32 losses.
Who will be the new head coach of the Chicago Bears?
The offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will take over as interim head coach, according to the team's statement.
Brown, 38, arrived in Chicago this season from another struggling team, the Carolina Panthers, to take on the role of passing game coordinator. On November 12, he took over as offensive coordinator after Waldron was fired, and just 17 days later he was named interim head coach of one of the most traditional teams in the NFL.
In favor of Brown, it was noted that in the three games in which he was the offensive coordinator, the Bears' game with the ball improved greatly and especially there were significant advances in the development of rookie Caleb Williams.
Thomas Brown will have five games to prove he is a good candidate to be the head coach for the next season. Otherwise, the Chicago Bears will look for their head coach in the market where names such as Ben Johnson (offensive coordinator for the Lions), Brian Flores (defensive coordinator for the Vikings), Mike Vrabel (former head coach of the Titans), and Bill Belichick (historic former coach who won six Super Bowls with the Patriots and currently works in communications) are already being mentioned.