We haven’t left September of this younger NFL season, however I really feel snug expressing these two linked emotions. After watching precocious rookie Caleb Williams do the whole lot he can to remain above water in a moribund Chicago Bears offense that lets defenses harass him to no finish, I nonetheless assume he’s going to be a celebrity. I nonetheless assume he’s going to be a real subject normal who strikes concern into defenses each single week. That shiny Bears actuality comes with a caveat, although.
Williams won’t ever (learn: by no means ever) attain his potential so long as Matt Eberflus is his head coach. Full cease.
Sunday’s deflating Bears’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts demonstrated precisely why the Bears can’t danger damaging their younger face of the franchise on the expense of a head coach who can coordinate protection and do nothing else at a reliable degree.
After trekking by means of mud all afternoon, the Bears discovered life because of a big-boy drive led by Williams late within the fourth quarter. Chicago would then be confronted with a key two-point conversion resolution. Any path would’ve been wonderful, actually any single resolution, so long as Eberflus stayed dedicated to it. At first, he referred to as for an additional level, signaling a “1” together with his pointer finger. So the Bears’ particular groups unit ran onto the sphere for an additional level. Mere seconds later, Eberflus seemingly forgot the rating was 14-9 and determined to go for 2. (I’m not joking. He actually may need forgotten.)
By that time, the Bears’ particular teamers have been already on the sphere, and so they needed to waste a vital timeout in a sport that remained inside one rating for mainly the whole afternoon. Eberflus would later waste one other timeout for nothing, which left the Bears’ particular protection greedy at straws once they wanted one final cease to get Williams the ball on the finish.
You possibly can catch the preliminary burgeoning Chicago confusion for your self after Rome Odunze scored within the clip under:
I can’t overstate this. You need to be in your sport at each degree, particularly together with your communication, for those who’re going to be a profitable coach. Eberflus’ clarification about this unforgivable sequence after the sport didn’t make it higher as a result of his PRIMARY job is to be an efficient communicator:
What’s worse about Eberflus’ normal sport administration is how he doesn’t study from his errors. As a result of what occurred Sunday wasn’t a brand new prevalence. Simply final week, he challenged a transparent Stefon Diggs catch proper in entrance of him. As a man who professes to be a CEO-type coach, he continues to let his hand-picked offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron, set the Bears’ offense and Williams again with three yards and a cloud of mud on seemingly each possession and in each scenario. It’s no surprise Williams has to press a lot and that the Bears solely have three offensive touchdowns in 12 quarters because the bona fide worst offensive workforce in professional soccer.
After we begin to take extra of a macro perspective on the Bears’ Eberflus period, it’s actually difficult to be ok with something with a man who directs his workforce into oncoming site visitors with out fascinated with it. He’s barely received 30 % of his video games since beginning in 2022. His two coordinator hires — Luke Getsy and Waldron — each appear like unmitigated disasters. He doesn’t know the way to problem “questionable” performs and the way to handle timeouts. When push involves shove, with the Bears’ finest hope for a shiny future lastly underneath middle in Williams, Eberflus seems content material to be the glorified, defensive-minded bystander who lets disaster envelop a clumsy Chicago offense that has taken no significant steps ahead in nearly a month.
If not for enjoying one-man circus act Will Levis in Week 1, Eberflus’ teaching seat could be scorching proper now. After the Bears’ dispiriting begin to 2024 — the place they’ve an elite protection that may’t carry an abysmal offense with a proficient younger quarterback doing his finest — I stay assured the warmth is on in some trend.
So, I’m calling for it now. Be it now or later, the Bears should fireplace Eberflus — a man they need to’ve laid off within the offseason — to maximise Williams’ celebrity potential. If I’m the Bears, I don’t care about competing for the playoffs this fall. (Although they clearly constructed this roster with that aim in thoughts, and that’s a unique can of worms.) Their purpose in 2024 is to make sure that Williams takes significant steps ahead with out defenses teeing off on him relentlessly and with out his coaches appearing as a rusty anchor ruining his studying expertise. Actually, I don’t see Eberflus’ strategy bettering a lot any time quickly, however the Bears will most likely (and sadly) give him the grace of seeing it out.
We’re three video games into the Williams-Eberflus period. Fortunately, the injury accomplished to Williams — who led the NFL in passing on Sunday — doesn’t appear to be everlasting simply but. However the extra he’s uncovered to Eberflus and his incompetent cronies over time, I concern the injury can be irreversible.
The way forward for their franchise, maybe the final actually unbreakable quarterback even for the Bears, hangs within the stability.
Elsewhere within the NFL in Week 3, Malik Nabers seemed like an explosive ballerina, Jalen Carter backed up his trash speak, and the Carolina Panthers genuinely made the proper resolution. Severely.
Let’s dive into the awards, pals.
The Panthers may need lastly received on Sunday, however their early benching of Bryce Younger is proof of deep-rooted issues within the group. Particularly, it exhibits how Carolina proprietor David Tepper meddles in soccer operations an excessive amount of regardless of having employed folks to make soccer selections for him.
Jimmy Johnson captured this dangerous disconnect in a way-too-accurate rant for Fox:
We thought Malik Nabers would possibly battle within the New York Giants offense. Why? As a result of Daniel Jones, on an excellent day, is a replacement-level quarterback. At a sure level, even a star receiver can’t overcome poor quarterback play. Properly, Nabers quelled these issues with a monster 8-catch, 78-yard, two-touchdown efficiency in opposition to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Nabers’ finest second got here on this under landing when he high-pointed the ball, did a full pirouette, and tapped each of his ft within the nook of the tip zone … multi function movement. The rookie playmaker is an artist, and we shouldn’t doubt artists once they’re at work.
It’s nonetheless early, but it surely’s most likely time to purchase Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings as a legit contender. And the Sam Darnold Redemption Tour steamrolls alongside. Minnesota now has three straight convincing wins to start out the 2024 season, bookended with consecutive victories over the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans- two squads most everybody thinks are Tremendous Bowl-caliber.
However generally, success may be predicated on luck, too. This unintentional backward lateral from Darnold that by some means nonetheless become a optimistic Minnesota achieve exhibits how that may be true:
Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy is out for the 2024 season as he recovers from a completely torn meniscus. So, in some methods, you most likely wouldn’t be stunned to study McCarthy shouldn’t be completely happy seeing Sam Darnold shine in his stead, making the first-round decide appear replaceable. That may be your assumption.
As a substitute, McCarthy is an effective sport. Even higher, he’s clearly a real chief who simply desires to see his workforce win as evidenced by his response to see Darnold shine in opposition to the Texans.
To me, one of many hardest instincts to maintain at bay as a soccer participant has at all times been to sacrifice a landing. Do you imply to inform me guys willingly quit crossing the aircraft and all that glory simply so their workforce can play a extra significant end-of-game possession technique? It’s kinda mind-boggling. I’m too egocentric for that, on this regard, personally.
Kudos to Devin Singletary for being a giant individual whereas closing out the Browns:
There are a couple of cardinal sins to offensive soccer. You don’t throw late to the flats. You run the ball properly, so there’s at the very least a menace of speeding stability, and defenses don’t promote out in opposition to your quarterback. And also you don’t get cute in “gotta have it” conditions, particularly when it’s fourth and quick on the aim line.
The Bears broke this closing tenet when, after a high quality drive in opposition to the Indianapolis Colts, they ran pace possibility (?) with Caleb Williams and D’Andre Swift (???) on the aim line. After all they have been stopped. Only a reminder that defenses stack the road of scrimmage close to the tip zone. You might be by no means going to have the requisite blockers accounted for to make an possibility play succeed there.
I nonetheless actually don’t perceive this silly play name. As I alluded to above, I’m undecided this Bears teaching workers is aware of what it’s doing!
It’s been a tough season for Anthony Richardson thus far. The Colts’ younger quarterback has struggled in Shane Steichen’s expansive offense and clearly doesn’t look snug persistently difficult defenses downfield. Richardson’s struggles thus far have made the Colts appear like one of many NFL’s worst groups.
When he’s making horrible selections like this — lofting a ball to a crowd of Bears defenders for a simple interception (his fifth of the yr) — you see why Richardson is kinda caught within the mud proper now:
The Eagles’ offense seemed putrid for a lot of Sunday’s battle with the New Orleans Saints. Nick Sirianni’s sport administration was baffling. And but, by some means, the workforce nonetheless pulled out a much-needed comeback win within the closing moments in New Orleans. Eagles soccer, women and gents. Catch the fever!
After a tense back-and-forth, Jalen Carter needed to be held again by Eagles coaches whereas jawing with Saints security Tyrann Mathieu on the finish of the sport. Properly, at the very least his workforce received, and he had a monster sport.
It might look rather a lot otherwise if Philadelphia had misplaced and Carter was a no-show:
Look, we’ve all been right here. You query your soccer workforce’s course of. You surprise how the gamers and coaches handle to placed on pants day-after-day, not to mention lead a single profitable offensive possession, for instance. And then you definately’re at one in all their video games, hanging out together with your buddy, pointedly discussing how your workforce disappoints you with the digicam rolling.
In a manner, these two passionate Eagles followers have been residing the dream. (Warning: NSFW message for lip-readers.)
It was one other tough outing for the Chicago Bears on Sunday, because the lowly Indianapolis Colts pummeled Chicago sufficient to an uninspiring 21-16 win. However even whereas one more defensive position teed off on Caleb Williams, there have been sufficient shiny spots to be optimistic concerning the No. 1 decide’s future.
This beautiful landing cross to fellow prime rookie Rome Odunze on the finish of the sport was the brightest. It was formally Williams’ first landing cross within the NFL and Odunze’s first landing catch. Naturally, the 2 pals performed somewhat sport of tag as Odunze jokingly saved the milestone ball from Williams whereas they ran off the sphere.
We is perhaps seeing this connection rather a lot within the years to come back:
The presumed NFC favourite Detroit Lions knew they’d must deliver their A-game to beat the upstart Arizona Cardinals on the street. They did that after which some, bringing the mandatory quantity of aptitude in opposition to an Arizona workforce that likes to stay life on the sting.
We noticed this on show when Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a fundamental slant and bravely tossed the ball to Jahmyr Gibbs for an ideal, wide-open, hook-and-ladder landing. That’s simply the best way each highschool coach throughout the nation attracts it up.
We thought Derrick Henry could be a revelation for the Baltimore Ravens’ offense. We understood that he’d most likely be an ideal match for his or her customary energy speeding assault. However there was at all times the query about whether or not the mileage on Henry’s tire would catch as much as the 30-year-old tailback.
For now, primarily based on his absurd stiff arm within the open subject in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys, I don’t assume we’ve to fret. Don’t mess with Mack vehicles like Henry (150-plus-yards speeding, two touchdowns), dearest readers:
Properly, it certain appears like Bryce Younger was the anchor holding the Panthers again. There is no such thing as a cheap conclusion aside from seeing that the Panthers have been so energized by Andy Dalton on Sunday that they needed to make each single play for his or her new passer.
People, Dalton threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders. A veritable good sport. Abruptly, I don’t assume the Panthers are that horrible, and I feel he’s completely suited to at the very least execute the Panthers’ offense when he performs like this:
