Troy Aikman Implies Coaches Are to Blame for Penalty that Wiped Out a Bears TD

Stephen Douglas | 4 Hours Ago

Doug Kramer Jr. did not report before entering the game as a fullback. / ESPN

The Chicago Bears did not score in the first half of their Monday Night Football game against the Minnesota Vikings. In fact, they haven't scored in the first half of a game since November 24th.

Trailing 13-0 midway through the third quarter it looked like they had actually scored a touchdown when D'Andre Swift took a handoff and ran into the end zone behind center Doug Kramer Jr., who had lined up as a fullback on the play.

And therein lies the rub. Kramer had not reported to officials before lining up in an eligible position. A flag was thrown and Joe Buck and Troy Aikman had flashbacks to last season's Cowboys-Lions game.

Bears lineman forgets to report as a full back and the Bears touchdown is taken back. pic.twitter.com/63dHhDnDNS

— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) December 17, 2024

Buck echoed what the official said, pointing out Kramer has to report in that situation. Aikman agreed and wondered it if might have been a coaching issue.

"He does, Joe. And the problem is... is... I'm guessing now," Aikman said. "I don't know, but I'm not sure anybody told him, this week. I mean, you just don't come in in this situation and play fullback. I mean, they've worked him at fullback."

The Bears fired their head coach Matt Eberflus on November 29th, just a few weeks after they fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and four other offensive assistants.

Thomas Brown, who started the season as the passing game coordinator, moved into Waldron's position and then Eberflus's and is now the head coach. If the person who would have told Kramer about reporting as an eligible receiver is no longer with the team, well, it's unclear whose fault that is.

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