Bear Digest

Thomas Brown Battling Odds as Coaching Picture Begins to Form

Analysis: With coaching candidates starting to pop up for NFL jobs, Thomas Brown remains unfazed by 0-4 mark in his bid to try to get the Bears head coaching job.

Gene Chamberlain

Bears interim coach Thomas Brown shakes hands with Lions coach Dan Campbell after the Lions 34-17 win at Soldier Field.
Bears interim coach Thomas Brown shakes hands with Lions coach Dan Campbell after the Lions 34-17 win at Soldier Field. / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
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It's been a tough four weeks for Bear interim coach Thomas Brown.

On a Monday when Adam Schefter reported Mike Vrabel's contract as a Browns consultant has expired and he's can now interview and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Ron Rivera is intervewing with the Jets, the Bears interim coach assessed what has transpired in his bid for the Bears job.

No one should expect to hear he's frustrated by the 0-4 record. It would be out of character.

"I'm never frustrated by the future because it hasn't happened yet," Brown said. "All I know is I just care about where my feet are and being present and how I attack the moment.

"Frustrated by the work you put in and not being able to get the result. That’s always going to be frustrating. That will never change. My mother and my father remind me often of how difficult I was to be around when I was a player because of not getting results. I've changed somewhat as a coach, but probably not a whole lot. That will never change."

The Bears were a team in freefall when Brown got appointed to replace fired Matt Eberflus. The defense faltered for three straight games. The offense sputtered to start every game and then came alive late a few times before a rough night against Seattle.

It's safe to say no one would be impressed by what has happened with the team Brown has coached for these four weeks, but he never expected to roll right in and be handed the coaching job for next year.

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It always was going to be a tough assignment.

"There's an interim because there's difficulties, there's a reason for (coaching) change," Brown said. "At least in the eyes of ownership.

"I knew what I was walking into and don’t flinch. Still not going to flinch, not going to back down from my opportunity to continue to grow and battle regardless of the result. The future takes care of itself by what you do every single day. I focus more on that."

Brown had the interim coordinator/play-caller tag last year in Carolina after Frank Reich's firing. He had it again in Chicago for three weeks before Eberflus' firing, then became interim head coach for four weeks.

The Bears scored 66 points in three games against playoff teams when he was calling plays from upstairs as coordinator. They have 45 in four games since he had the dual role of calling plays and coaching the full team from the sidelines. Half of those four games came against non-playoff teams.

This obviously leads to the conclusion he needs seasoning still as a full-time offensive coordinator in a more traditional sense before he's ready for that move up to head coach. But this is all up to the ownership in Chicago, and possibly elsewhere in the league.

Either way, Brown can finish this week by leaving a very good impression if he only gets a win despite the 0-4 record.

No other Bears coach has beaten the Packers since Matt Nagy did it in his second game against them in 2018. It's been 11 straight games. No Bears coach has beaten them in Green Bay since John Fox in his first season of 2015.

Ending the misery would earn him a place in the hearts of Bears fans.

"Whenever it's done, when it's over it, I'll walk away with a hundred percent confidence as far as the approach, the growth opportunities and whatever happens next,” Brown said.

He should. It's been an ordeal.

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.