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Opinion-
December 16, 2024
Thanksgiving Coaching Catastrophe
November 29, 2024: News breaks that Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has been fired. Everyone watched the Bears on Thanksgiving play a remarkable second half, only to fall short of a victory for the sixth week in a row. The same team that began 4-2 is now handed its sixth loss in the season by one score.
One thing more embarrassing than getting blown out while the entire country watches, is coming back red hot and choosing not to win the game. Coach Eberflus had roughly 33 seconds on the clock, and not only did they have a timeout, but they were approaching field goal range with an opportunity to tie the game at least.
The Bears took the loss 20-23. This kind of coaching malpractice is unexplainable. Was he expecting his rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams, to call a timeout after taking a 6-yard sack? Situationally, you just don’t leave your rookie in a position like that - or your team as a whole for that matter.
"I don't have a microphone to speak to coach [Eberflus] so there wasn't any huge communication," Williams said in a post-game press conference. "In that situation, you [have] to try and get the guys back, get everybody lined up so you can run a play. I made an adjustment cause I saw the clock running down."
You may wonder, adjustments? Improvisation? As time ticked, the play still wasn’t called.
Contrary to what we all just saw with our families at home, Eberflus defended the confusion claiming, “I like what we did there… I believe we handled it the right way.”
Which could be true… if they had won the game. This comment was followed by a defeated locker room. A locker room that had collectively had enough. Rightfully so, “colorful language” was shot at Eberflus like darts. As if the hot seat was lit on fire, Eberflus was terminated the following day; marking him as the first Chicago Bears head coach to be fired in-season.
The Cycle of Coaching and Quarterback Turmoil
2017: The Trubisky Gamble
This firing proves what all Bears fans have feared: a trend with our rookie quarterbacks. Let’s take a look into the past, specifically 2017. The Chicago Bears trade up to infamously draft UNC quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky, before world-renowned quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.
The 2017 season fell short, as the Bears ended their season 5-11; which brought head coach at the time, John Fox’s win percentage with the Bears to .291 – the second worst in franchise history. This was enough to end his career in Chicago in the first season of Trubisky’s career.
But seriously, it would take a special head coach to rally those men together. For crying out loud, Chicago’s first string wide receiver was Josh Bellamy… who failed to even rank in the top 100 for receiving yards.
The Era of Matt Nagy
The following season, Matt Nagy swooped in to seemingly be the answer. The 2018 Chicago Bears were like no other. The ferocious defense led the league in nearly every category and ranked number one overall to finish out the season. The Monsters of the Midway were back, by approximately allowing only 16.6 points per game, 50 sacks on the season, 18 forced fumbles, 9 of which were recovered by Chicago, and 1 was returned for a touchdown. What set our defense miles ahead of the rest were our interceptions. Cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Eddie Jackson led the team to a whopping 27 interceptions for 5 touchdowns. The only team who came close to this stat was the Miami Dolphins with 21 interceptions.
Although the defense took most of the spotlight, Mitchell Trubisky worked hard to be Chicago’s next franchise QB. Trubisky’s career season was in 2018, ranking 19 of 33, hanging around the middle of the quarterback pack. He had a 66.6% completion percentage, 3,223 passing yards, and over tripled his touchdowns from his previous season, racking up 24 visits to the endzone.
With a 12-4 record to end the season, Matt Nagy brought excitement and motivation to the locker room, and the whole city, with his introduction of “Club Dub.” Club Dub was essentially a huge dance party in the locker room after a win, with music and disco lights; this celebration was always filmed and posted.
Importance? Character. Although every locker room celebrated after a winning game, it gave the team a unique incentive to work and shaped the determination within the locker room.
And boy, did it work! The Chicago Bears took first in the NFC North, and were officially “Reppin’ the North.” Number one for the first time since 2010, the team secured a Wild Card game at home against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The postseason run was short, as kicker Cody Parkey infamously “double-doinks” what was supposed to be the game-winning field goal off of both goal posts. Although Matt Nagy won Coach of the Year that season, this loss would foreshadow the rest of Nagy’s time with Chicago.
Just missing the playoffs in 2019, and barely squeaking into the playoffs in 2020 was enough to still be unsatisfied. Trubisky’s play was slowly regressing, and Nagy’s playbook seemed to lose its spark. Maybe a new quarterback would be the solution.
Experiment Justin Fields
The Bears headed into the 2021 season with high expectations resting on the shoulders of their brand new toy: rookie Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. However, 6-11 didn’t take them anywhere but third in the division, and earned Matt Nagy a ticket right out of the door, along with general manager Ryan Pace. The gentlemen were replaced by first-time head coach Matt Eberflus, and former Chicago Bears offensive lineman Ryan Poles. Do you have an eerie feeling yet?
So, the cycle repeats. Eberflus took over in 2022 and never found a groove with his new second-year quarterback. Fields became a dual threat as a quarterback, actually ranking seventh among all running backs with 1143 rushing yards of 160 attempts, and 8 rushing touchdowns that year. In year two, he finished 26th in the league as an overall passer and 22nd in year three.
But the identity of Justin seemed to have shifted from 2022 to 2023. Rushing was much less prominent in his game, his yards and touchdowns were cut basically in half, and suddenly some of the magic Fields brought to the offense was missing.
It was clear Fields was missing something, confidence? The same confidence Trubisky might have been missing. Going through so much change and adversity early in your career, while trying to develop and be the leader of a team is a huge feat. Even so, for the city of Chicago, searching for the franchise quarterback is a tale as old as time.
Curse Behind the Quarterback Graveyard?
Since the 1920s, the Bears have had 84 quarterbacks to start at least one game. That makes the average time spent under center amount to roughly 1.24 seasons per quarterback. 30 quarterbacks have started for the Bears since the 21st century began, 13 of which have been in the last decade.
What makes this QB phenomenon even more unique is the fact that none of these quarterbacks have had a 4,000+ yard passing season. This is the only team in the NFL without a player of this caliber. How could the Bears be this unlucky? The 2013 episode of NFL Top 10 called “Football Curses” has a couple of theories.
The episode begins at number 10: “The Curse of the Honey Bears.” Essentially, in 1977 owner George Halas declared he wanted cheerleaders, and they would be there as long as he was alive.
Roy Taylor featured on the episode, jokes, “He didn’t want to be upstaged by the Dallas Cowboys.”
George Halas eventually passed away in 1983, leaving the team to his daughter Virginia McCaskey. The Honey Bears’ contracts ran through 1985, and McCaskey decided not to bring them back. Coincidence 1985 was Chicago’s best season? Coincidence that the Bears haven’t won a championship since?
Ava Kay Jones, a voodoo priestess shares her advice for the end of the episode, urging those who believe they’re cursed, “Above all, stop saying you’re cursed. Because the more you say it, the [more real] it gets.”
This is followed by a clip of former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler telling his teammates, “I’m cursed. I’m 100% cursed.”
The same franchise has had 18 starting quarterbacks, including Cutler, since 2009 when he joined the crew. Interesting. Just as interesting as how much pressure is put on new quarterbacks in Chicago to save the franchise. Could the constant reminders of quarterback doom in the city be the root of the problem?
You could buy it, or you could be like Damon Amendolara from CBS Sports Radio, who claims, “Fans believe in jinxes and curses because it’s easier than admitting we stink.”
That could very well also be the case, unfortunately.
Caleb Williams: A Beacon of Hope
Come weeks out from the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bears moved on from Fields, trading him to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick that could turn into a fourth if Fields plays 51% or more of the season.
Flash forward and here we are, with many questions and concerns regarding the fate of rookie Caleb Williams’ career. Although there is uncertainty, there appears to be a bit of security in the idea that if anyone can get through this type of adversity, Williams might be the best guy to do it.
Caleb Williams actually crushed the Bears' “no 4,000-yard passer” stat in college at USC, in 2022 where he threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns. Williams holds a large list of accolades at USC, records, and trophies such as 2022 Heisman trophy winner, most touchdowns scored rushing and passing, the lowest rate of interceptions, and 2022 Associated Press college football player of the year just to list a few.
In an interview with the NFL, Williams describes his style of play as, “fierce, dominating, and unique,” then continues to list some of his best attributes. “My ability to throw from any platform, with any arm angle. My ability to throw on the run.”
The tape shows it. There are growing pains of being a rookie, Williams uses it to fuel himself. It is clear he has a very naturally competitive nature and does not like to go down. However, Caleb now enters the top 10 most sacked rookie quarterbacks of all time, brutally with 49 after playing the Lions on Thanksgiving.
Tragic, yet impressive: he hasn’t missed a snap yet. Caleb has shown his comfortability inside and outside of the pocket, while additionally on the run. Some of his best highlights are while he is escaping the pocket and making a crucial gain on a broken play, or making flashy contested passes with laser precision.
Importance of Character
Some claim Williams is a diva; saying he is arrogant and overconfident, not to mention how he’s “too focused on painting his nails.”
These claims are made because he is threatening. Williams has personality, it is about time the Bears have a quarterback who is a little scrappy, who has energy, and who is a true competitor no matter the circumstances. Having firm character is how you make your mark in the NFL, Lion’s head coach Dan Campbell instantly comes to mind.
Campbell is the definition of grit. After a long history of being bad, going 3-13-1 in his first season, he absolutely would not let his boys give up. A few seasons later, his coaching and energy have breathed life into the team. Proving their strength and perseverance, the Lions currently sit at the top of the NFC playoff picture, continuing to live and (rarely) die by Campbell’s aggressive approach. Also a part of the NFC North, proving to be a very tough and competitive division in football this year. All teams besides the Bears not only have winning records, but they are all also well in the playoff picture.
The Search For Stability
The trick will be to find a head coach who complements Williams’ character. With all of the pieces there, a head coach to truly focus on the development of Williams would be game-changing. A head coach who assures Chicago is no longer a place where “quarterbacks come to die,” but a place to start and finish your career in, and a place to ultimately win championships in.
President Kevin Warren boldly speaks about the job opening, stating, “When you look [at] all of these elements as we sit here today, we are in a unique situation. This will be the most coveted job in the Nation Football League this year.”
SOURCES:
https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/team-stats?category=defense&season=2018
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
https://beargoggleson.com/posts/chicago-bears-starting-quaterbacks-team-history-full-list
https://www.sports-reference.com/?utm_source=cfb&utm_medium=sr_xsite&utm_campaign=2023_01_srnav
https://usctrojans.com/sports/football/roster/caleb-williams/15820
by Andi Haag
December 16, 2024
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