Bear Digest

Writer Has Low Regard for Matt Eberflus

Article for CBS Sports labels Bears coach as the worst coach in the NFL.

Gene Chamberlain

In this story:

Apparently CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin doesn't keep up with the sports books.

Or he just isn't a gambling guy.

According to Caesars Sportsbook, the No. 4 coach in odds for 2023 NFL Coach of the Year is Bears coach Matt Eberflus. Only Atlanta's Arthur Smith at 10-1, Detroit's Dan Campbell at 10-1 and Denver's Sean Payton at 12-1 have better shots at the award according to Caesars than Eberflus at 13-1. 

Even Robert Saleh (15-1) with Aaron Rodgers at QB and Green Bay's Matt Lafleur (16-1) don't have odds like Eberflus.

This isn't an oddity. It's pretty universal from one sports book to the next.

Yet, Benjamin ranked all the league's coaches in an article and has rated Eberflus No. 32, the worst coach in the league.

Benjamin's explanation is about as lame as it gets.

"It's not all Eberflus' fault he debuted with a stripped-down roster, but if you're gonna be a defensive HC in today's NFL, you'd prefer not to shepherd one of the league's worst units on that side of the ball," he wrote. "A big leap from QB Justin Fields would help."

Benjamin has Arizona first-year coach Jonathan Gannon rated one ahead of Eberflus. Josh McDaniels and his 17-28 record with two teams is two ahead of Eberflus, Falcons third-year coach Arthur Smith and his 14-20 record is at 29 and Tampa Bay's Todd Bowles, 34-50 for his career with the Jets and Buccaneers (28th), is 28th. Dennis Allen is 15-38 as a head coach with the Raiders and Saints and he's even ahead of Eberflus at No. 27.

Houston's DeMecoo Ryans hasn't coached a game and is 25th, well ahead of Eberflus, while new Colts coach Shane Steichen is 24th and hasn't coached an NFL game, which probably tells you all you need to know about these rankings.

What's kind of ironic is Benjamin just two weeks ago wrote an article listing Justin Fields one of 20 players who could become first-time Pro Bowl players.

It's going to take some victories for Fields to earn Pro Bowl status. If Fields is good enough to be authoring wins, how could Eberflus be the worst coach?

Just wondering.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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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.

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