Ryan Poles will take any win he can get at this point. While his job as Chicago Bears GM probably isn’t in danger, the status quo with this team is not good. On Monday Night Football, ESPN cameras caught him watching the game against the Minnesota Vikings. While Poles isn’t prone to smiling much, it wasn’t hard to read his emotions on this occasion. The Bears nursed a narrow 6-3 lead with less than seven minutes left in the 3rd quarter. At this point the defense has already forced two takeaways and would go on to force two more before the game’s end.
Under normal circumstances, the Bears should’ve blown Minnesota out. Instead, they barely escaped with a last-second scramble to win 12-10. That was despite two brutal turnovers by Justin Fields. Poles had good reasons to be unhappy. The players were performing well. Several of his draft picks were big contributors. Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon had interceptions. Gervon Dexter was a menace rushing the passer. Roschon Johnson had 75 yards from scrimmage. Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright once again held up in protection.
To get all those contributions and only win by two is frustrating.
Ryan Poles has big decisions looming.
If he keeps his job (and he should), he must figure out what to do with head coach Matt Eberflus and quarterback Justin Fields. Both were key parts of the Bears’ win, but neither answered many questions about what their futures should be in Chicago. Fields had those. That makes eight in the 4th quarter alone this season. Eberflus’ defense, despite another stellar overall game, gave away the lead with a go-ahead touchdown. It was the third time in less than two months his team had coughed up a lead in the final 15 minutes.
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One thing Ryan Poles is not is stupid. He’s smart. He sees the same things Bears fans do. While he may have loyalty to Eberflus, the evidence keeps mounting that he may not be the guy this organization needs to reach the next level. As for Fields, there isn’t much to say. He remains a phenomenal physical talent and can look so good at times. Yet the inconsistency remains. It’s a red flag when you struggle to beat guys like Josh Dobbs. Maybe it’s the coaching, but Poles has to wonder how much longer the leash should be.
Hitting the reset button at both spots might be what’s best for the organization.
