CHGO Digest: Bears booed out of Soldier Field as outside noise gets louder

Good morning, friends!

I know what you’re thinking. No. I just don’t see it happening. Not yet, anyway.

Now, if something happens between bedtime on Sunday night and when this gets sent out at 7 a.m. and I’m not awake to change this, then that would be pretty funny.

But I fully expect Matt Eberflus to be coaching the Chicago Bears next Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Why? I don’t think this is rock bottom. We’ve seen rock bottom for other coaches.

Marc Trestman’s Bears lost to the Patriots in 2014 Week 8, 51-23. They followed that performance after a bye with a 55-14 loss to the Packers. Trestman and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker kept their jobs for the next seven weeks.

So, even if this is rock bottom, history sides with keeping Eberflus and the rest of his staff through the remainder of the season. Buckle in!

Onto Week 11, I suppose.

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— Patrick Norton

Three observations from another rough Sunday for Matt Eberflus & Co.

As the Patriots kneeled out the clock on a 19-3 win over the Bears, “FIRE FLUS” chants rained down from the few thousand remaining fans in the stands at Soldier Field. Tory Taylor punted the ball eight times and the Bears finished the day 1/14 on third downs, and in every instance, the crowd’s boos got louder and louder.

The noise has never been this loud for the third-year head coach, and with a tough stretch that features the Packers, Vikings and Lions in 12 days, it’s very possible it doesn’t quiet down.

1. Where’s the next win?

After crushing losses to the Cardinals and Commanders, this week against the Patriots felt like the only surefire win left on the schedule with a chance to be frisky and pull out a couple more down the stretch. But a 16-point loss at home to one of the league’s worst offenses and defenses makes it tougher to imagine the next victory for Chicago. It’ll happen at some point, but the schedule won’t do them any favors.

Chicago still has to play each NFC North opponent twice, the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks, who own a combined record of 29-15 through 10 weeks. The Bears’ only win against an opponent currently .500 or above came in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams, who were missing receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Oh, and pending Monday Night Football tonight, the Rams might be below .500 come Week 11.

So what’s the Bears’ best hope for a win? Is it catching the Vikings off guard in a couple of weeks in Chicago? Eberflus’ teams have typically played the Lions pretty well – but will the head coach still be on the sideline on Thanksgiving?

2. Matt Eberflus still doesn’t understand accountability

When everything went wrong for the Bears on the fateful Hail Mary against the Commanders in Week 8, Eberflus could’ve accepted responsibility for the decision to let Washington’s Terry McLaurin pick up 13 meaningful yards for free on the penultimate play. Or he could’ve taken a share of the blame after players lined up incorrectly waiting to defend the Hail Mary.

It didn’t happen and the head coach’s inability to hold himself accountable became a talking point for the following week. Since the heartbreaker, Eberflus has gone out of his way to take ownership of every hardship and shortcoming facing the Bears. However, and this isn’t meant as a nitpick, it hardly comes across as genuine.

After Sunday’s loss to New England, Eberflus mentioned in his press conference’s opening remarks, “As the head football coach, all disappointed, accepting accountability for everything and then, really, just looking inward at myself.” But when pressed on what he was specifically “accepting accountability” for, the head coach said, “The whole thing. The whole thing. The operation of it; offense, defense, kicking. That’s the job of the head coach. So, to me, that’s accountability for everything.”

Well, as I said last week, at least we know who’s responsible for this mess.

But the problem right now is that Eberflus can’t pinpoint why he’s taking blame, he just knows it’s what he’s supposed to do.

3. Is a change healthy for Caleb Williams’ rookie development?

No! But neither is getting sacked nine times in a single game! I just can’t imagine the Bears part with Eberflus, especially without firing – or stripping play-calling duties from – offensive coordinator Shane Waldron first.

But Caleb Williams insisted that a mid-season play-caller change wouldn’t disrupt his development or the offense’s aspirations, saying, “I mean, they’re not going to reinvent the wheel, in a sense, you know. We’re midseason, and it’s not a decision for me. I have to do what [Eberflus] says. I have to deal with whatever decision he makes, and I have to be fine with it. Will I be able to adapt? Yes, I will. We’ll be able to adapt, whatever decision Coach makes. From there, we have to go out and execute and win games.”

“We’ll look at everything from the top to the bottom,” said Eberflus when asked if he’d consider a coordinator change. “Making sure that we’re finding the answers to move the ball down the field, play better as a football team on offense, defense, and special teams.”

Williams is already 24th all-time for sacks taken in his rookie season, halfway to Derek Carr’s 2002 record of 76 with eight games remaining. If the Bears believe a change at play caller or coordinator can mitigate the beating Williams is taking even a little bit, it’s an avenue that should be explored immediately.

🔎 GO DEEPER | Nicholas Moreano spoke to players from the Bears and Patriots after Chicago’s loss to get a sense of how New England shut down Shane Waldron’s offense.

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