The Chicago Bears suffered a 23-20 defeat at the hands of the winless Detroit Lions and head coach Matt Eberflus has lost his job as a result of the Thanksgiving loss
Stephen A Smith’s warning to the Chicago Bears was heard loud and clear – as the NFL team fired head coach Matt Eberflus following a catastrophic conclusion to their Thanksgiving game.
The Bears suffered a 23-20 defeat at the hands of the Detroit Lions, despite an impressive comeback from a 16-0 deficit at half-time. Chicago finally made their mark on the scoreboard in the third quarter, but it was their fourth quarter resurgence that nearly stole the show.
But all eyes were on Eberflus, whose decision not to call a timeout could have been a game-changer. With just 36 seconds left and the Bears a few yards outside of field goal range on third down, Eberflus chose not to call a timeout, allowing quarterback Caleb Williams to play another round.
Unfortunately, Williams took too long to execute the play and his deep pass was incomplete. The extended play didn’t develop in time, squandering the Bears’ opportunity to salvage the game. They could have gained a few yards to give their kicker a chance to level the score. The Bears were left ruing their poor game management.
Eberflus’ inaction prompted Smith to lambast the Chicago coach on X, questioning his future. “You get off just one play in the final 26 seconds,” he wrote. “Is there any more proof needed for the Chicago Bears and their fans everywhere that a new coach is needed? That it’s time for a change?”
Chicago’s chiefs responded to that loss and Smith’s advice by firing Eberflus on Friday. CBS pundit Matt Ryan also expressed his astonishment at Eberflus’ strategy on the network’s post-game analysis. He slammed: “This is unacceptable from the head coach position. Your responsibility is to not panic in critical situations. To put your team in the best opportunity to win games. That’s a massive, massive fail by Matt Eberflus.”
Curiosity about Eberflus’ tactics even reached Williams, who conceded that later in his career, he might’ve taken matters into his own hands. The quarterback shared: “In that situation, I’m living with the call and letting coaches make that decision. Maybe in the later years of my career (he may call a timeout himself), right now I get the call and I’m trying to lead my team to a win.”
The loss drove the Bears down to a dire 4-8 season record, with their last triumph being an October victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Post-London, the team has faced nothing but setbacks, trailing well behind division competitors.
It’s unclear who will replace Eberflus in Chicago. What lies ahead is no cakewalk – the Bears face a gauntlet against the NFL heavyweights, including the Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and Green Bay Packers.