Word has been trickling out of Halas Hall over the past week. Chicago Bears players have admitted that this training camp is easily the toughest they’ve ever experienced. The sheer intensity demanded by the coaching staff has them gassed by the time they return to the locker room. Guys are splayed out on the floor, trying to get their energy back. All of this was entirely by design. Matt Eberflus promised it when he took over as head coach.
He wants a football team that is in great shape. Everybody must be conditioned for the NFL season. Yet it hasn’t entirely been made clear why he holds this stance. Practicing hard isn’t uncommon, but Eberflus never gave an answer that felt like it was from the heart. Upon hearing from the press about Cole Kmet and others remarking on the tempo of practices, the 51-year-old spoke up. His philosophy is crystal clear.
It is hard to argue with that.
Eberflus holds to the belief that a coach must make practices as brutal as possible. By doing that, players will start seeing games as easy by comparison. Look at winning teams across every sport, and you’ll hear different versions of the same quote. Games are tough, but they’re nothing compared to our practices. When a coach can make Sundays feel like a reward, that is when you know he’s accomplished something.
This is about conditioning his players to play at a peak level for 60 minutes. Too often during the past few seasons, the Bears wilted late in games. Four times last season alone, they held the lead in the 4th quarter and ended up giving it away. Their inability to finish games was a hallmark of the Matt Nagy era. Eberflus has no plans to let that linger under his watch.
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It may sound archaic, but Matt Eberflus must weed out the weak.
Football is a hard sport. It demands a lot of the mind and body. Only those that are strong in both areas find success in this league. The Bears coaches must assemble a roster of players they know won’t quit when there are two minutes left in a game, and they either need a touchdown or a 4th down stop to win. Teams with superior mental fortitude and physical endurance are almost always the ones triumphing in those situations.
Matt Eberflus is sending a message. It isn’t his job to be their friend. His job is to win football games. That means doing whatever is necessary to prepare them for the grind. Opponents may sometimes outsmart the Bears or might be more talented than the Bears. One thing is for sure, though. They will never, ever outwork or out-hustle the Bears.
That is why it feels like GM Ryan Poles made the right hire.
Eberflus may not be the next offensive wunderkind, but he understands football. Effort and endurance can overcome many things in this league. That is the foundation he wants this team built on. Once that is established, everything else should fall into place once more talent is added. George Halas would’ve been proud.
Building character. Building resiliency. Football isn’t for the weak and I love it
An old, but true, axiom in sports is, “you play like you practice.” I remember practicing so hard you’d vomit. For Free! Now, these guys are getting sometimes millions to do the same! So, I’m seeing it as part of their job!
Sounds good in theory, but what happens when players get injured in bunches? Oh, wait — did this happen already?? Somewhere in-between a country club method and “run ’til ya puke” approach is probably best. This ain’t 60s or 70s era football anymore.
Long term effects will probably be that stronger, tougher guys get injured less.
Frank Leahy had the same philosophy.