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Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterNov 10, 2024, 07:22 PM ET
- Courtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Week Ever on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.
CHICAGO — Bears coach Matt Eberflus said he will evaluate “everything from the top to the bottom” following Chicago’s third consecutive loss, a 19-3 defeat to the New England Patriots on Sunday.
That includes potentially changing who calls offensive plays, Eberflus acknowledged.
“We’re looking at everything,” Eberflus said.
Six days after declaring that Shane Waldron would continue in his role as offensive coordinator after Chicago lost 29-9 at Arizona, Eberflus did not rule out making a change at offensive playcaller after the Bears’ struggles were magnified by the Patriots.
Chicago has not reached the end zone in back-to-back games and has gone 23 straight offensive drives without a touchdown, which marks the longest active streak in the NFL. The Bears’ last touchdown was Roschon Johnson’s 1-yard go-ahead score in Chicago’s 18-15 loss to Washington on a last-second Hail Mary in Week 8.
“Just really been in a funk the past three weeks and we’ve got to find a way out of it,” tight end Cole Kmet said.
The Bears’ offensive struggles weren’t limited to their execution on the field.
Chicago went into its Week 10 matchup down four offensive linemen, including starting tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright. Guard Nate Davis reported back tightness on Sunday morning and was subsequently ruled out and told to stay home by the team “because we don’t want a guy standing on two feet with a back issue,” according to Eberflus. The rash of O-line injuries continued in the game when left guard Teven Jenkins injured his right ankle and was ruled out.
Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked nine times by the Patriots, which brings his total from the past three games to 18. During Chicago’s recent losing streak, Williams has logged his three highest pressure-percentage games of his career
Williams completed 16 of his 30 pass attempts for 120 yards, his lowest passing output since throwing for 93 yards in his NFL debut against the Titans. Collectively, Chicago’s offense was 1-of-14 on third down (7%), its worst mark since 2012.
The Bears have never fired an offensive coordinator in-season. Williams expressed confidence in his ability to adapt to a new playcaller should Chicago elect to make changes.
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“They’re not going to reinvent the wheel, in a sense,” Williams said. “We’re midseason, and it’s not a decision for me. I have to do what Coach says. I have to deal with whatever decision he makes, and I have to be fine with it. Will I be able to adapt? Yes, I will. We’ll be able to adapt, whatever decision Coach makes. From there, we have to go out and execute and win games.”
Waldron was hired in January 2024 after the Bears fired former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy after two seasons. Getsy, who was hired by the Raiders shortly thereafter, was fired last week amid Las Vegas’ 2-7 start.
Waldron served in the same role for the Seattle Seahawks from 2021 to ’23, which coincided with quarterback Geno Smith’s career resurgence in 2022, when he was named the league’s Comeback Player of the Year.
The only other member of Chicago’s coaching staff with extensive playcalling experience is Thomas Brown, who was the offensive coordinator in Carolina in 2023 and previously called plays for the University of Miami from 2016 to ’18. Brown is currently Chicago’s passing game coordinator.
In the waning moments of the fourth quarter, “Fire Flus” chants rang through the crowd at Soldier Field. Upon hearing fans calling for his job, Eberflus said that his focus was to “get back to work.”
“I know it’s part of the job,” Eberflus said. “It’s part of it. You’ve got to stand strong, you’ve got to be the same leader you’ve always been and make the necessary adjustments that you need to make. Be strong and courageous throughout it all, look at each other in the eye, tell each other the truth, and that’s how I know to do it.”
In a mostly empty locker room postgame, Bears safety Kevin Byard was asked whether players still believe in Chicago’s coaching staff.
“I’m not gonna go there,” Byard said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to play better. We’ve got to win.”
The Bears begin a stretch of six division games over the next eight weeks when they host Green Bay in Week 11. All three of Chicago’s NFC North opponents hold winning records.
Eberflus’ message to Bears coaches and players was to “take a hard look, inward look, accept accountability, and be accountable to the guy to the right and the guy to the left” following the loss.
The third-year coach said he does not believe he runs the risk of losing the locker room if he does not elect to make significant changes to his staff.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I do believe in those guys. They have faith in us working together. I believe in our football team. I believe in the leaders in the football team. We’ll just have to get back to work.”
