NFL legend outraged at Bears head coach Matt Eberflus’s ‘coaching malpractice’
The Chicago Bears are down and out, it would seem. The Bears were nowhere close to the race for the playoffs but a sixth straight loss will serve as the final nail in their coffin as we approach the business end of the season.
The worst part is that the Bears were competitive against the NFC's very best on Thanksgiving. The Detroit Lions entered the game with a 10-1 record and with a spot in the playoffs all but secured but were run close by the Bears right until the very end.
Some puzzling late-game management meant the Bears had to settle for their eighth loss of the season but coach Matt Eberflus appeared to leave some meat on the bone when he refused to call a timeout on the final play.
With the Bears down three points, they had a chance to tie or even win the game with a timeout to spare. The Bears wasted that option and Caleb Williams ended up throwing an incompletion to bring the game to a close.
Eberflus's decision-making was called into question by Houston Texans legend JJ Watt, who had more than a few things to say about the Bears head coach.
"What in the absolute world was that by the Bears?!? The end of game management by them multiple times this year is absolutely BAFFLING," Watt tweeted.
In another post, Watt wrote:
"Man I feel for you Bears fans. That was just brutal. Literal coaching malpractice."
Keenan Allen, DJ Moore call out Matt Ebeflus's decisions
After the game, given the questions raised regarding Eberflus's decision-making ability, Bears wide receiver DJ Moore said he was also puzzled at the team wasting the timeout.
"I don't know why we ain't call a timeout," Moore told reporters after the game.
Moore's veteran teammate Keenan Allen was a little more cryptic, telling reporters he believed the players did everything they possibly could to try and take home a win on Thanksgiving.
Caleb Williams also pointed towards a lack of communication from the sidelines.
“I don’t have a microphone to speak to coach. There wasn’t any huge communication or a message," Williams said. "In that situation you get a call when you got to try and get the guys back, get everybody lined up so you go run a play.
"We got lined up, got the play and then I made an adjustment because I saw the clock running down knowing that we could play the ball inbounds and we don’t have time to kick a field goal. I made an adjustment knowing Rome [Odunze] was going to be one-on-one there and try to give him a shot. We got that shot and missed."
With nothing to take away from this season, the Bears will hope to draft well next year since they'll be holding a higher pick following their mediocre season.
Also read: Caleb Williams' girlfriend Alina Thyregod delivers sneak peek into Bears QB's bye week break in London