CHGO Digest: Decision to drain clock will haunt Matt Eberflus

Truly incredible.

For any Bears fan who went into Sunday with a firm belief that the team couldn’t possibly hurt them any more than they already have, think again!

Let’s think about the last few years. Randall Cobb’s game-winning touchdown on 4th & 8 in 2013, Jordy Nelson’s 60-yard grab to put Green Bay in field goal range in 2016, Cobb’s 75-yard touchdown with 2:13 left to complete Aaron Rodgers’ Week 1 comeback in 2018, Jesper Horsted’s missed lateral that could’ve kept the 2019 season alive, Rodgers shouting “I still own you” to the Soldier Field crowd in 2021…

How about a blocked field goal as time expires after Caleb Williams drives the Bears down to the Packers’ 29-yard line?

That’s four straight losses for Chicago since coming back from London and 11 straight against the Packers dating back to 2019.

— Patrick Norton

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Three takeaways from another Bears gut-wrenching loss

1. Why not get closer?

It’ll be discussed all week long. Confidence in your kicker doesn’t cut it – 46 yards is hardly a gimme, and Matt Eberflus and the Bears paid the price for not running one more play to make the walk-off field goal attempt a little closer.

With one timeout left, Eberflus elected to let the clock roll down to 0:03, burning 32 seconds. Sure, if it were fourth, or even third down, run Cairo Santos and the kick unit out there. But the attempted game-winner came on second down.

“[The Packers] were loading the box there,” said Eberflus after the game. “You could say you could do that for sure, maybe get a couple more yards, but you’re also going to risk fumbling and different things there.”

Hindsight is 20/20 but for a head coach facing as much heat as Eberflus, you’d think clawing for every yard imaginable would be the safest bet.

When asked by ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler if extra yardage could’ve made Santos’ kick trajectory tougher to block, Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper said, “Possibly, yeah, because when a kicker is farther back, he has to kick it lower to have a good angle to get off. So if he’s a little bit closer, he could kick it straight up and be fine.”

Just like the loss in Washington, Eberflus undervaluing yards before the final play came back to bite the head coach. Against the Commanders, it was a 13-yard quick pass that Eberflus’ defense had no problem ceding but ultimately gave Jayden Daniels just enough play to launch a Hail Mary. On Sunday, it was his fear of catastrophe that ultimately led to disaster.

2. Thomas Brown interviewed for the job, why didn’t he get it?

For at least this week, the heat should be off Caleb Williams. Chicago had a different offensive coordinator and play-caller just one week ago. It was a chaotic week at Halas Hall and one that raised valid questions about Williams’ slow adjustment to the NFL.

How did the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft respond? 23/31, 231 passing yards, nine carries for 70 yards and a 95.0 rating. That’ll do, Caleb. That’ll do. However, it’d be nice to read that stat line after a win, too.

So, what was different in the process from last week with Shane Waldron and this week with Thomas Brown? After the loss, Williams said, “I think us being in control, Thomas being in control, just getting a few calls in super fast. As soon as a play happened, Thomas was right on the headset giving me the play. From there, I think he just strung plays together pretty well.”

The difference in demeanor between Brown and Waldron was drastic and the offense clearly responded to the new OC’s command of the room. So, how did Waldron win the job that Brown also interviewed for in the first place?

3. How do you come back from that?

Just when you thought this team had finally buried the hatchet on the Hail Mary heartbreaker in Washington three weeks ago.

It took two losses and a fired coordinator for the Bears to move past the Week 8 loss to the Commanders. A walk-off winner on Sunday would’ve gone a long way in strengthening the belief in the team within the locker room. Instead, the Bears are 4-6 and just about out of opportunities to claw back into the hunt.

A loss to the Vikings next Sunday at Soldier Field might be the final nail in the coffin for the 2024 season. But how can we be sure the locker room will be able to overcome the mental hurdle of another soul-crushing defeat?

Eberflus said, “We’re going to keep battling, keep fighting, and we’ve got a division opponent coming here next week. That’s where it is.”

“You keep going,” said Williams. “That’s my mindset for just about anything.”

We’ll see.

🔎 GO DEEPER | Nicholas Moreano on why the sole focus going forward is the development of Caleb Williams.

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CHGO Bears Postgame…

🎧 SPOTIFY | APPLE PODCASTS | Heartbreak as Cairo Santos’ game-winning FG attempt is blocked

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