What Chicago Bears Firing Matt Eberflus Means For Detroit Lions

Bears fire their head coach during the season for the first time ever.

Former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus on the sidelines during the second half against the Detroit Lions / David Reginek-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears have made a decision on the fate of head coach Matt Eberflus.

After one of the most egregious clock-management blunders, the organization made the decision Friday to part ways with Eberflus after a little more than two years at the helm.

Trailing by three with under 30 seconds remaining in the game, the Bears offense inexplicably did not call timeout and took far too long to get set after quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked.

What resulted was a hurried final play of the game that ended up as an incomplete pass. The Bears were defeated, 23-20, when many felt the team could at least tie the game and force overtime based on the offense moving the ball into Lions territory.

After getting shutout in the first half, the Bears offense scored three touchdowns in the second half.

“Right there we liked the play that we had and we were hoping that he was going to call it, or get the ball snapped and then we would’ve called timeout right there," Eberflus said postagme. "But, once it’s under seven there, you call timeout there, you’re basically throwing the ball to the end zone because once it’s under 12, you can’t throw it inside with no timeout. And it was third going into fourth so that’s the big deal. It was third going into fourth that’s why we wanted to preserve the timeout.”

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Matt Eberflus
—We liked how we handled end of game
Via: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/HlkxHGadkr

— DetroitSportsPodcast (@DetroitPodcast) November 28, 2024

The comment that angered many Bears supporters and left many pundits scratching their heads was Eberflus expressing he felt the team handled the scenario at the end of the game the right way.

"I like what we did there. Again, once it’s under seven, you’re going to call a timeout there – actually under 12 and then really you don’t have an option because it’s third to fourth, you have to throw it into the end zone then," Eberflus said. "To me it’s – I think we handled it the right way, I do believe that you just re-rack the play, get it in bounds and call timeout and that’s why we held it and didn’t work out the way we wanted it to.”

Chicago will now turn to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown to lead the team as the interim head coach.

Detroit will face the Bears again in Week 16 at Soldier Field, after facing the Packers and Bills.