Bear Digest

Decisions Return to Haunt Matt Eberflus in Fifth Straight Loss

A failed two-point conversion gamble, confusion on a fourth-down gamble and other situations meant chaos at time for Bears in their 30-27 loss to the Vikings.
Gene Chamberlain|
Vikings receiver Jordan Addison catches a touchdown pass against Bears safety Jonathan Owens during Minnesota's 30-27 OT win.
Vikings receiver Jordan Addison catches a touchdown pass against Bears safety Jonathan Owens during Minnesota's 30-27 OT win. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

There were no blatant, ridiculous decisions made at game's end for the Bears by coach Matt Eberflus this time

Instead, they came earlier. And they were more subtle than in the past, like simple failed gambles or moments of inexplicable confusion on the part of his team in a 30-27 overtime loss.

The clock most assuredly must be ticking on his coaching regime after a fifth straight loss, and more bumbles.


A week after his team lost on a blocked 46-yard field goal, they couldn't get a field goal off without another cave-in on the offensive line that led to a blocked kick, couldn't get out of the way of a bouncing punt, couldn't move the ball in overtime and that all combined to mean defeat.


They also had a couple of decisions backfire. One was going for two points after pulling within 24-16. A conversion kick that wasn't blocked would have allowed the Bears to tie the game with a touchdown and another PAT kick that wasn't blocked. But Eberflus was thinking win even though he was down eight points after DJ Moore's 10-yard TD catch with 7:22 left in the game.

“We're down 14 there," Eberflus said. "We really like our two-point play. We were going to make it a (case of) touchdown wins the game.

"We felt good in terms of where we were in terms of the game, how the game flow was going at that point. We thought that was our best chance to win."


The game flow was they were losing by a touchdown and had been having trouble all game stopping Minnesota's offense.

Eberflus's gamble failed when the PAT pass sailed high and wide to a covered target. So the Bears still needed a TD and two-point conversion to tie. How would that PAT kick have looked at the end of regulation?


The fourth-and-4 gamble Eberflus took at the Vikings 27 early in the third quarter loomed large at the end, as well. A field goal would have been big at game's end, again, if they had been able to kick one without getting it blocked. But Keenan Allen couldn't come down with Caleb Williams' throw.

The problem with it all was confusion on the sideline before the play occurred. The field goal team was coming on, then didn't. It meant Williams had to rush to get the playoff.

"We felt good about going for it there," Eberflus said. "We really did. That was a green light for us. I got to do a better job communicating to the field goal team."

Eberflus stood up for the blame on this one even though it was anything but obvious it had something to do with him.

"I think it's just a point where we need to do a better job," Eberflus said. "I have to do a better job of communicating everything to everybody. If he was late, then I might have been late.

"He was maybe late getting the call. We liked the call there. We were all set with going for it there."

Eberflus stressed the importance of being prepared ahead of time for such situations.

"Got to do a better job of communicating that," he said. "I wasn't as clear as I usually am."

Williams confirmed the confusion.



"We ended up running up against the clock in that moment," he said. "In those moments you don't really want to run up against the clock just because you want to get set, have your play, be able to see what's going on.

"Cairo and them ran on the field ... all that. I think the confusion had the play come in a little bit later. We got to the huddle trying to scramble. I end up mis-hearing what (offensive coordinator Thomas Brown) said. From there it went downhill."

They ran a play they didn't really want to run as a result and didn't get the first down, losing a chance at three critical points if not seven.

Eberflus was even taking some responsibility for cleaning up special teams after the second blocked field goal in two weeks. He said he'd have to take a closer look at this operation himself, going forward.

"Yeah, no doubt," he said. "When you have issues on any part of the team, you got to get involved. We have to make sure we clean up those things."

Much to clean up and only four days to do it before they play Detroit on Thanksgiving.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.