Bear Digest

Matt Eberflus More Interested in His Guys than Jayden Daniels' Injury

The Bears coach would rather focus on where his defense is preparation-wise and health-wise after a week away from hitting than to worry about the identity of the Commanders starting QB.

Gene Chamberlain

QB Marcus Mariota displayed plenty of mobility against the Bears two years ago in beating them while with Atlanta.
QB Marcus Mariota displayed plenty of mobility against the Bears two years ago in beating them while with Atlanta. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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Calling Bears coach Matt Eberflus disinterested in who Washington will start at quarterback Sunday is stretching the truth.

It's only a slight stretch, though, unless Eberflus is the king of poker faces.

The Bears coach has his story and is sticking to it. That story is the Commanders' offense doesn't change. Washington's "gamesmanship" won't get the Bears coach's goat. On Friday, Commanders coach Dan Quinn characterized the practice injured Jayden Daniels went through as a full workout. However, when the injury report came out, Daniels was listed as limited in his only practice of the week.

Of course, the speed at which the Commanders' running quarterback comes at Eberflus' defense will be different if it's veteran Marcus Mariota running the ball on a zone read instead of the rookie with injured ribs.

"If you focus on yourself with an 'it’s about us' mentality, I don't think it does (matter) much," Eberflus said. "I think we just prepare the way we prepare and get ready for him to play, and if Marcus is in there we're gonna play the game still. That's really about focusing on us, and it's about us."

It seems Eberflus might be scamming as much here as Commanders coach Dan Quinn is by hiding his QBs and leaving it as a game-time decision, but Eberflus insists he doesn't care.

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"I really don't. I really don't," Eberflus said. "I don't think that way. We'll be kicking the ball off and we'll see."

The reason is in the game film.

"Because when you look at the game last week, when (Mariota) came in early, they operated the same way," Eberflus said. "They ran the same offense. It was the same exact offense they ran before.

"I don't see those guys changing. They believe in their system. It's very effective and they're going to use that system."

The bottom line: "It's really not that big of an adjustment for us."

There are a few things they may need to adjust, though. They already did with their practice schedule because they're playing after coming out of a week of rest with the bye, the third time they've done this under Eberflus. They won once and lost the other one.

"I would say just 'pad ready,' getting pad ready," Eberflus said. "We had a really good pads practice Wednesday. I think that's important. I think bringing the guys back in Monday and having a walkthrough and getting them back into the football side of things is very important. And working through that Wednesday, having a really good pads practice that way.

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"The sense of urgency to improve on the items we talked about with each individual and each unit—we have a few things on all sides of the ball to do that. And then to create that (physical) atmosphere."

The other thing is adjusting personnel. This is the result of injuries that will keep starting safety Jaquan Brisker and starting slot cornerback Kyler Gordon sidelined again. Their replacements, safety Elijah Hicks and cornerback Josh Blackwell, each delivered a turnover last game. Brisker has a concussion and Gordon a pulled hamstring.

"I think I said it prior to the (Jaguars) game: Those guys were going to step up and step in and do a really good job," Eberflus said. "And they did. It's because they have been in our system, they know how we operate, they know the fundamentals and the basics of our system. To plug and play those guys in there, it wasn’t that big of a step for them. (DB Elijah) Hicks had played games for us, (DB) Jaylon (Jones) had played games, (DB Josh) Blackwell has been in there now, has been part of this for three years.

"For them it was pretty easy in terms of executing the fundamentals, knowing where you're supposed to be, when you’re supposed to be there relative to the run calls, run fits and also the pass fits as well."

Eberflus said they also plan to get cornerback Terell Smith in for some downs, most likely to keep from over-exerting Tyrique Stevenson. Smith had a hip injury and is healthy enough to play now, and Stevenson is coming off a calf injury.

The ability to use all these reseves is also a matter of the coaching they receive. Eberflus has lauded cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke before.

"I would say the entire secondary (staff)," Eberflus said. "You've got David Overstreet, who has coached nickels and has been with me since Missouri. I would say him, too "Also, Andre Curtis is the best safeties coach in the league. He’s proven that being able to put guys in and plug guys here and develop guys. Then, of course, Jon Hoke. He's coached a bunch of great corners, All-Pro corners.

"Those guys all work together to really make up our secondary in terms of the coaching piece of it, the continuity piece of it. The guys have done a really great job there."

Still, it would seem to help the backups if they know who the quarterback they are facing really is.

"I would say that would be different if you were gonna talk about a different way to play," Eberflus acknowledged. "But I don't see that here.

"To reflect on your questions, I would say yes, probably at receiver, where you're gonna move your coverages and your contours toward that receiver and taking that guy away, on first, second and third down. If you have a really good receiver like that, you didn't know if he was gonna play or not. So you'd have to plan for him being up and then a back-up plan."

Nothing needed for the QB. That's his story and he's sticking to it.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher 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.