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Is Matt Eberflus At Fault For Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears Failures?

After a third consecutive loss for former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears, this time against the reeling New England Patriots, the Bears might make sweeping changes, starting with coach Matt Eberflus. The future of their rookie quarterback and the franchise depend on it.

Kyron Samuels

Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) reacts after a pass against the New England Patriots during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) reacts after a pass against the New England Patriots during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images / Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Bears dropped their third game in a row to fall to 4-5 on the season after a 19-3 home loss to the 3-7 New England Patriots. In an embarrassing three-game stint, this performance was the most humiliating. Former USC Trojans star, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked a season-high nine times and once again left in an unwinnable game to take unnecessary punishment. It’s time for a change. 

The offensive play calling has been a major topic of discussion all season, but especially in the last three games. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has been heavily criticized for the lack of a visible plan in terms of attacking coverages in the passing game and in pass protection. Against a struggling New England Patriots team, those criticisms were as apparent as ever. Oftentimes, during the broadcast, the booth announcers would show replays where all four eligible receivers were blanketed. 

"We'll look at everything. Look at everything from the top to bottom and making sure we're finding the answers to move the ball down the field," said Chicago coach Matt Eberflus said in the post-game press conference with regard to the offensive play calling. 

The Bears are down four offensive linemen, including Darnell Wright and Teven Jenkins. It can’t be emphasized enough how important that is for both the lack of rushing attack and pass protection. Those players are probably playing as well as they can, given the situation. They’re still a poor unit at this juncture, and that falls heavily on the staff and front office. A struggling rookie quarterback and a makeshift offensive line isn’t the group you want to keep calling play-action or rollouts for. 

Chicago Bears QB Caleb William
Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) reacts against the New England Patriots during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images / Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

“It first starts with me. I had two to three plays in key moments of situational ball where it didn’t click in my head,” said Williams.

Williams isn’t devoid of accountability or blame here. He’s the first overall pick hailed as the franchise savior. Right, wrong, or indifferent, there’s going to be a large faction that blames him regardless. He did miss on a couple of easy throws. Those are technical and communication issues. Those are correctable and things he can control. Take the layups as they come, step into throws, and take the hits because he's getting crushed regardless.

There’s a few reps where he holds the ball too long, but when the offense is constantly behind the sticks and not scoring points, Williams tends to force things. When there’s little to no help from a schematic standpoint and those receivers are covered, it makes every decision that much harder to process the next snap. Williams is going backwards after showing seven consecutive weeks of progress, for a bevy of reasons. 

The Bears were one snap away from a 5-2 record when they traveled to face the Washington Commanders. The now infamous Hail Mary play that lost them that game has changed the trajectory of this season. Now, at 4-5, there’s no doubting there needs to be sweeping changes made with the coaching staff. There’s simply no time to waste. Cut the chord. Flip the page. Move on. The future of the franchise depends on it.

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

Kyron Samuels is a former college and professional football player now a writer, analyst, & digital host. Kyron is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and contributes to Oregon Ducks on SI. A graduate and letterman at Jacksonville State University, Samuels was a three-year starter, two-time all-conference, and won three consecutive conference titles. After a four-year professional stint between the AFL & XFL, Samuels retired from football. In 2022, Samuels was inducted into the Fairhope Athletic Hall of Fame. Post-playing career, Samuels has become a credentialed sports media member covering the NFL, UFL, USFL, & college football. The NFL Combine, Reese’s Senior Bowl, & East-West Shrine Bowl are amongst the events Kyron has covered. As a guest and host, Samuels has been featured on ESPNRadio, FoxSportsRadio, & IHeartRadio. Outside of sports media, Samuels works as a scouting consultant and has experience coaching at the collegiate level.

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