The Chicago Bears will host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday At Soldier Field in the home season finale for 2023 as the team will look to keep their razor-thin playoff hopes alive. A potential win would be a nice way to cap a pleasant home stretch for the Bears, as they could finish the year winning their last five games at Soldier Field. It would be an added boost for head coach Matt Eberflus in his bid to keep his job for 2024, especially seeing how poorly Chicago opened the 2023 season in front of their fans.
Eberflus Needs A Win To Cap Off A Turnaround That Many Didn't Believe Could Happen
Since becoming Chicago's head coach in January of 2022, Eberflus' team has only won six home games over two seasons, with only two by October of this year. Although the Bears' have doubled their win total from last season, three blown lead losses have put the Bears' coach in jeopardy of losing his job. A win over Atlanta would give the Bears' head coach a winning record at home for 2023 despite losing the first three games of the year at Soldier Field.
The 2023 season got off to an embarrassing start for Eberflus as the Bears, who were expected to make significant improvements following their three-win 2022 campaign, got blown out by the rival Green Bay Packers by a score of 38-20. The opening day loss was extremely troubling as the Bears looked unprepared and outmatched by what was believed to be a Green Bay team that was in flux with the departure of All-Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The loss snowballed for Chicago as Ebeflus's team lost their next three games and lost 14 consecutive contests dating back to 2022.
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Losing against Green Bay wasn't the only embarrassing loss at home for Eberflus and his team, as their next two games at Soldier Field resulted in losses in different fashions. In Week 4 against the Denver Broncos, the Bears held a 28-7 lead late in the third quarter only to lose 31-28. Two weeks later, following a win over Washington and a ten-day break, Chicago would come out flat when playing host to the Minnesota Vikings, losing by a score of 19-13.
Since losing to the Vikings on October 15th, the Bears have not lost at home and have looked like the dominant team in most of their games. Outside of a three-point win against the Carolina Panthers, Chicago has won their other three games by nine points or more. Eberflus' Bears have looked poised and have played like the more prepared team compared to their opponent since mid-October.
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Given how poor the Bears were at home in 2022, a five-game winning streak to finish the 2023 home schedule would be a massive turnaround for their head coach and roster despite the heartbreaking losses to Denver, Detroit, and Cleveland. Winning all their home games in December would be especially helpful for Eberflus, given how the team performed in December of last season. Last year, the Bears lost their final four home contests of 2022, with the final two being by 16 points or more.
A Win On Sunday Could Be A Feel Good Moment For Multiple Reasons
A win over the Falcons could serve Eberflus well in a multitude of ways when it comes to keeping his job other than just his win-loss record. Beating the Falcons would be a win over a team still in playoff contention and keeps Chicago's playoff hopes alive, barring other factors, where being alive in the final week of the season could give the embattled head coach added evidence that he is the right head coach. If the Bears are alive in the final week, it shows that Eberflus' players never quit on him and that he led them to overcome a 0-4 start to 2023.
There are multiple ways the Bears can win on Sunday, as with a Panthers loss, they would clinch the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, giving their future a tremendous boost. A win over Atlanta coupled with a clinching of the number one selection would make for a fun moment for Bears fans as they cheered last season when the team clinched the 2023 first overall selection due to a Houston win, despite losing to the Vikings. Having playoff hopes alive with securing a monumental feat following a three-win season would be a high amount of momentum heading into the offseason, regardless of whether the Bears make the playoffs.
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Another potential aspect to account for with Sunday's game is that it is New Year's Eve, and winning on any holiday is always a feel-good moment. A win on the final day of the year would be fitting, given that the Bears lost on New Year's Day to begin 2023 to the Lions by a score of 41-10. A win on New Year's Eve would be the first win by Chicago on the day since the infamous "Fog Bowl" against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1988.
All of these factors can be beneficial for Eberflus, as a win over the Falcons would enhance all of these and help tip the scale to assist him in keeping his job. Victory in the final home game of 2023 would give the Bears their first seven-win season in three years and prove that the roster is trending upwards. Eberflus still will need to win against the Packers next week, but beating the Falcons would keep the team's momentum going, regardless of whether or not they are eliminated from the playoffs.
