Matt Eberflus has always talked about accountability across the Chicago Bears organization. Everyone needs to be held to a high standard if the team is to become a winner. That isn’t a bad philosophy. It ensures everybody does their part. However, the head coach might be running into a problem. It is knowing who to hold accountable. After another frustrating loss in Indianapolis headlined by another lifeless offensive effort, Eberflus may not have helped his situation in the locker room.
The one play that best sums up the loss came late in the first half. Chicago had driven down to the one-yard line. It was 4th down. They had multiple options for play calls to punch it in. A run with Roschon Johnson. Maybe a play action to get Caleb Williams on the move. Nope. Shane Waldron calls a speed option to the left that was blown up for a 12-yard loss. Everybody, fans, and experts thought it was one of the worst calls they’d ever seen. What does Eberflus do? He doubles down on the call and criticizes the players for poor execution.
“We liked the play. We just got to get to the second level, get to the linebacker there, zone up to him and pitch off the end man on the line of scrimmage. We got to execute better.”
Matt Eberflus didn’t take accountability.
The smart thing to do is just admit it wasn’t the best call. Running a horizontal run in a congested area with an offensive line that has routinely shown it can’t block that way was a recipe for disaster. Shane Waldron had no business calling that play. Yet Eberflus still saw fit to defend him. Even Coleman Shelton admitted after the game that guys in the huddle questioned the call, especially when they saw Indianapolis wasn’t running the defensive look they hoped to see.
Any momentum Matt Eberflus had coming out of last season appears to have fizzled. The Bears are right back to the rudderless team they were in September of 2023. He managed to rally the troops last time, but they were able to at least run the ball back then. That is no longer the case. Little moments like this could pile up fast if the losses keep mounting.
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