Bear Digest

Why Feeling of Liberation Can Work to Stop Bears' Collapse

Analysis: The Bears must deal with changing coaches but there can be a positive side to it providing a boost necessary to beat another scarred team.

Gene Chamberlain

Cole Kmet on Impact of Coaching Change.mp4
Cole Kmet on Impact of Coaching Change.mp4 /
In this story:

There's more to the Bears matching up against the San Francisco 49ers than simply pitting two teams of players against each other on a field.

It's two teams who've been through the ringer mentally and how they cope.

The 49ers have had so many injuries this year that they've had to deal with the thought they are not a Super Bowl team like last year, and most likely not even a postseason team.

The Bears have gradually had to cope with this idea their season is headed into the drain over the course of six straight defeats, most by excruciating circumstance. Now there is irony. The Matt Eberflus coaching regime began against the 49ers and their next matchup represents the tenure of another head coach. Tthe firing of both offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and Eberflus is a lot to handle but some would argue they've already been through the worst of it with their six straight losses.

"Well, it's not hard to stay locked in I would say," Bears tight end Cole Kmet said. "Just a lot of emotions to it. I'm still going to go about my process throughout the week and do what I do, but it's hard when you take in the human side of it, the emotions to it.

"It's a lot to deal with. Obviously, coach (Eberflus) is a guy I've developed a really good relationship with over the past three years. It's definitely hard to say goodbye to people when things like this happen. But it's also part of the business."

Not all the players will feel the same way about Eberflus. The full team isn't likely to carry emotional baggage into Sunday's game because some blame Eberflus for what happened.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen said coaching accountability was insufficient when Eberflus and Waldron were with the team.

"Yeah, from the coaching staff," he said. "Early in the season it was the players. I think we did a good job of that, holding the player-held meetings, the captains going to the coach and saying what needed to be said.

"That’s taking it upon ourselves to be accountable against ourselves. And, kind of vice versa, we wanted the same thing back (from coaches)."

They didn't get it, but they all do realize their own parts in the Eberflus losing his job.

"I think we could have done a better job just overall execution of game plans," Kmet said. "We haven't upheld our standard totally of that throughout the year, and I'll put myself definitely in that category.

"So we as players, I myself, haven’t been good enough. That's kind of why the results are where they've been at. We definitely need to change that up if we want the results we want at the end of the day."

The Bears feel there is a reason to pursue those results and be competitive still, even with playoff elimination one loss or one more Washington win away.

Allen saw a target for them.

"Ending the way we wanted to be at the beginning of the season," Allen said. "We obviously wanted to be a full team.

"Obviously, it has been tough getting the offense going, and the defense going and special teams, to have a full game. I think, just trying to get that to click."

They thought they saw it last week when they came close to forcing overtime with Detroit, or when they made a miracle comeback to actually force overtime against Detroit, or when they were a simple 46-yard field goal away against Green Bay.

"Look, there’s obviously been a lot of frustration," Kmet said. "I think the frustration happens just because of what we see in the locker room and who we have. We feel like we should be better at this point and look at the three division games we've played. You tally up the losses of that, it comes out to seven points. You're not far off.

"But the record is where it's at right now. You're really a handful of plays away from competing for a home playoff spot. That's how close it is. But close isn’t good enough and we have to find a way to get these results."

The 49ers are dealing with their own downfall.

Many of the Bears are feeling liberation more than dealing with their own failures as they seek out personal motivation at the end of another meaningless season.

“There’s always a lot of proving to be had,” Kmet said. “You can’t wish by these (final) games. I think everyone’s got things at stake here, whether you’re on a one-year deal here; whether you’re fighting to keep your contract for the following years; whether you’re trying to make a name for yourself in free agency.

“There’s a lot that people got to play for, coaching-wise. Coaches in new roles that they want to excel and exceed in. So there’s definitely a lot to play for in that regard. I think that kind of is why the NFL is what it is, so.”

It’s easier to deduce the Bears will look much different than the sputtering, inefficient operation they’ve been, but handling all this change so abruptly is not easy. Meanwhile, the 49ers face the shock of not being what they once were, of being left out of the playoffs.

Maybe they need to play this game on a therapy couch and not a football field.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

Published
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.