The Chicago Bears have been two performs away from taking a serious step ahead amid their rebuild. As a substitute they’re the laughing inventory of the NFL on Monday. At this level their busted protection on the sport’s closing Hail Mary has been seen 1000’s of instances, and from each angle — however simply as essential was the prior play, during which the Bears sat in passive, stop protection, fairly content material giving up 13 yards to place Jayden Daniels in vary for a last-second heave.
We’re left with two plain truths: The Bears’ protection on these two performs was laughable, and the one factor funnier was how head coach Matt Eberflus tried to justify the choices.
Let’s set the stage right here on that closing drive. The rating is 15-12 in favor of the Bears, it’s the fourth quarter and there are 19 seconds left on the clock ranging from the Washington 24 yard line. The Commanders have one timeout left.
At this level there are two defensive considerations in the event you’re Chicago: Firstly, you don’t need any busted protection that would result in a landing, with a secondary aim of stopping the Commanders from gaining 35 yards, which might put they contained in the efficient vary of kicker Austin Siebert, which might tie the sport.
First down: Daniels takes a shot downfield to Zach Ertz, attempting to choose up a bunch instantly. It’s incomplete. There at the moment are 12 seconds left on the clock.
Second down: Daniels passes quick to Ertz, this time gaining 11 yards and the Commanders name a trip with six seconds left.
So, with Washington now at their very own 35 and having burnt most of their clock the Bears are in an excellent place. The sector aim is successfully off the desk, and your entire stadium is aware of that the Commanders’ solely hope is to achieve a handful of yards, transfer into Hail Mary vary, and hope to huck it to win.
Properly, everybody within the stadium thought this may occur — apart from Matt Eberflus.
Matt Eberflus on how he appears to be like again at permitting Terry McLaurin, who was unguarded, to get 13 yards on the 2nd to final play and out of bounds with 2 seconds remaining.
“Since you’re defending landing, proper? You are defending landing there. And them throwing the ball for 13…
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) October 28, 2024
NO, YOU’RE NOT DEFENDING TOUCHDOWN! THIS MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE!
The Bears got here out in a full stop, giving Commanders’ receivers a stable 15 yards of cushion and with none method of creating a play. From their very own 35 there’s completely zero likelihood that Daniels can throw a Hail Mary, as a result of whereas he has an excellent arm, to succeed in the tip zone from the 35 would require a go touring roughly 72 or 73 yards by way of the air — which frankly nearly no person within the NFL can do with accuracy.
That’s earlier than we talk about how getting a scrum all the way down to the aim line takes time, and having the receivers run 65 yards at a dash, then assemble for a tip drill simply doesn’t mesh with how a lot time Daniels would want within the pocket earlier than throwing the ball.
In the event you’re anxious about receiver YAC they certain, play in a zone — however there’s no motive to run deep go stop when it’s clear the proper offensive name is to get a fast out and have time for one final play.
What the Bears did allowed Terry McLaurin to achieve 13 yards, placing the Commanders on the 48 yard line now and lowering all the mathematics on that play right into a manageable scenario. The quarterback now solely must by way of about 60 yards by way of the air to get to the tip zone, time is shaved off how lengthy it will take to get receivers in place. The whole lot is improved drastically.
One way or the other, even after dropping, Eberflus didn’t assume it was a giant deal. In the meantime Washington knew it was secretly crucial play of the sport.
Matt Eberflus on ESPN 1000: “The play earlier than the (Hail Mary), I am not involved about.”
Dan Quinn to @AlbertBreer: “That’s the one you want. If we don’t get that play to (McLaurin), then we’re out of gasoline.” pic.twitter.com/UxCOKWxWNC
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) October 28, 2024
What makes this so infuriating is that you’ve got two defensive head coaches in Eberflus and Dan Quinn, however Quinn understands offense higher than Flus understands protection. This can be a highschool stage mistake of drive prognosis, and Eberflus is doing this within the NFL.
Actually all of the Bears needed to do was defend the boundary … that’s it. If it’s an incomplete go then Chicago must resort to some ludicrous hook-and-ladder sort stuff to attempt to win, which they probably received’t. In the event you cease a receiver in bounds the sport is over as a result of the clock runs out.
The play earlier than the Hail Mary is the ballgame. Positive, it may not lead to a landing, however by enjoying stop you enhance the probabilities for Washington to win by such an order of magnitude that it’s past comical to say the play didn’t matter.
As for questions concerning the loss as an entire, Eberflus would quite not discuss that.
#ChicagoBears HC Flus to @ESPN1000 “it is essential we give attention to the issues we did good on this recreation”. Doesn’t need the main focus to be on the unfavourable.
— Peggy Kusinski (@peggykusinski) October 28, 2024
Yeah, I imply if I screwed up so badly my group misplaced I’d in all probability need to deflect and give attention to the positives too.
The principle situation right here is that we’re to date previous the section of “give yourselves a pat on the again” in relation to Eberflus. Positive, you need to construct Caleb Williams’ confidence, however sorry typically it’s essential to tear your group a brand new one. Tyrique Stevenson needs to be working 100 laps in observe for jawing with opposing followers, quite than going through the road of scrimmage and enjoying protection. Offensively there needs to be critical talks going down on why Caleb Williams’ accuracy plummeted to 41.7 p.c and why his yards-per-attempt was 5.5 towards a group ranked twenty second in opposing YPA.
Matt Eberflus is now 14-27 since changing into head coach of this group in 2022. We’re two-and-a-half years into this experiment, and it’s nonetheless not coming collectively. The person is out right here speaking about staying optimistic and performs not mattering as if followers haven’t been pressured to endure two atrocious seasons, with 2024 lastly being an opportunity to take a step ahead — and being handled to changing into a laughing inventory as a result of you may’t handle to defend the go appropriately for 2 performs.
This all falls on Eberflus. All of it. I don’t care that he wasn’t on the sphere for the game-defining Hail Mary, he allowed this to occur by way of his teaching, his lack of expertise, and being oblivious to the scenario.
Get that man the hell out of Chicago.
