Matt Eberflus operated his first game as Chicago Bears head coach on Saturday. It was a nice 19-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. While it remains clear the team has talent deficiencies, there were things about the operation that stood out. The Bears didn’t commit many penalties and played with an evident intensity on both sides of the ball. This led to two big takeaways and a second half comeback to get the 19-14 win.
Perhaps what stood out the most was how effective the Bears’ rookie class was. Several draft picks, including Jaquan Brisker, Braxton Jones, Trestan Ebner, Ja’Tyre Carter, and Trenton Gill had standout performances. Undrafted free agent Jack Sanborn overshadowed all of them. It was the latest indication that Eberflus and his staff were doing a good job of developing the younger players, a problem that Matt Nagy always had during his years with the team.
Several people that have attended Bears camp practices aren’t surprised by this. They’ve repeatedly indicated that Eberflus runs a tight, crisp operation. Every drill has a purpose. Nate Tice of The Athletic appeared on the Hoge & Jahns podcast. He was impressed by what he witnessed.
Matt Eberflus is working guys hard.
He made that message clear from the beginning. His team was going to be all about hard work. The key was whether he could sell players on this approach. That is where his biggest strength comes in. Quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko mentioned it this week. Eberflus knows how to connect with people. He is a football guy. He understands the balance between personal and professional. Guys can crack jones and have fun, but he keeps everybody focused.
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That might explain why there hasn’t been a single grumble from players despite what everybody describes as brutal practices. He’s been able to tell them why they’re doing it. None of this is about punishing them or satisfying some weird sense of dominance. Matt Eberflus believes a well-conditioned and well-educated football team wins games. It is hard to argue with that. Everybody is following his lead.
