The Chicago Bears continue to prep for their Week 11 game on Sunday against the Lions in Detroit. The Lions will serve as a terrific test for the Bears as they are currently the best team in the NFC North division and will play Chicago twice over the next four weeks. The next four games are vital for Eberflus if his team can string together wins or at least competitive performances against playoff-caliber teams, as it could lead to him being retained as head coach at season's end.
Eberflus' Can Overcome His Poor Record And Demonstrate Progress In Chicago's Next Four Games
Heading into Sunday's game against Detriot, Eberflus will have a head coaching record of 6-21 through 27 games as Bears' head coach. He has yet to record a divisional win against an NFC North opponent, as he is currently 0-8. Even if Chicago is unable to record a win against Detroit, Eberflus can still look good if his team turns in a competitive performance coming off a mini-bye, as the Bears have not played since last Thursday Night.
Despite starting the 2023 season off in a terrible way with four losses to begin the year and having a 14-game losing streak dating back to the 2022 season, Eberflus' team has played competitive football since Week 5. Since defeating the Washington Commanders in Week 5, Chicago's defense has been one of the better units in the NFL, as they currently lead the league in defending against the rush. Additionally, despite having a 3-4 record over the past seven games, the Bears have been competitive in those losses as they have only lost by more than seven points once in those defeats.
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If Eberflus's defense can continue to build on the positive momentum they have been generating for the past few weeks, the Bears can win a few of the upcoming games, especially with the return of quarterback Justin Fields. Although Fields' play has been sporadic in 2023 with either terrific performances or embarrassing ones, the third-year quarterback gives Chicago's offense a big-play spark, which could lead to wins with how the defense has played recently. Despite rookie backup quarterback Tyson Bagent leading the Bears to a 2-2 record while he was the starter, he lacked the needed arm strength to consistently make plays downfield.
Chicago's next four games will be against Detroit, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Cleveland Brown, with only one of the four contests being played at home. If Eberflus can help lead his team to a 3-1 or even a 2-2 record while not being completely embarrassed by any potential loss, he could retain his job at the end of the season. There is a strong belief that team president Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Poles may replace the second-year coach due to poor performance, but that can change with a strong showing against playoff-contending teams.
The Lions, Vikings, and Browns are all teams above .500 and feature quality defensive units, including Cleveland, which has the league's best overall defense. Eberflus, who has a defensive background, can further make a case for his retention if his defense can perform well against the opposing defenses, including the Vikings, who scored over 20 points or more in their previous four games.
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Another aspect that is significant in Eberflus needing to perform well in Chicago's next four games to help retain his job is that more than one of these games will likely be played in front of a national audience. After Sunday's game against Detroit, the Bears will travel to Minnesota to play the Vikings on Monday Night Football on November 27th. A few weeks later, When Chicago travels to Cleveland to play the Browns in Week 15, there is a good chance the game could be played on Saturday, making it a nationally televised contest.
Playing well and potentially winning in front of a national will go a long way in helping Eberflus keep his job, as two of Chicago's three wins in 2023 have come in primetime games. Not embarrassing Bears' ownership with blowout losses to the Vikings and Browns and garnering national praise with potential wins would help the argument for keeping the embattled head coach for one more season. One reason why former head coach Marc Trestman was fired by the Bears after the 2014 season was because the team was blown out in four consecutive primetime games by 13 points or more.
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The Schedule Set Up Favors Chicago In Their Next Four Games
Although Chicago's next three opponents appear to be difficult, the way the schedule is formatted allows the team ample time to gameplan and recover from a health standpoint after previous games. As mentioned before, the Bears will have had ten days off leading into Sunday's game against the Lions. After Sunday's game, they will have eight days to prepare for the Vikings, as the contest will be on Monday Night. Chicago will then have their bye week for 2023 before hosting the Lions at Soldier Field on December 11th and then face the Brown either Saturday or Sunday the following weekend.
Ahead of both Lions games, the Bears will have ten days or more to rest and prepare for the best team in the NFC North Division. Although Chicago and Minnesota will have eight days to prepare for their game on November 27th, the Vikings will have less time as they play the Broncos in Denver this Sunday Night on NBC, meaning they will likely get very little rest heading into Monday.
Despite the uncertainty of what day their game against the Browns will take place, the Bears are already receiving a break as Cleveland starting quarterback DeShaun Watson will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. In two of the four upcoming games, the Bears' defense will face backup quarterbacks Joshua Dobbs and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Although both quarterbacks have played respectfully well this season, it is better for Chicago's defense as they will not have to face Watson or Kirk Cousins.
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On Wednesday, Eberflus confirmed that the remaining seven games are enough of a sample size to know if Fields is the Bears' long-term answer at the quarterback position, but oddly enough, the next four weeks could be enough to decide the head coach's future. If the Bears can play above .500 in their remaining seven games of the 2023 season, or at least not be embarrassed in losses, their head coach may be kept for the 2024 season. Eberflus' best chance to make something of 2023 is the next month of football, with his future hinging on his team's productivity.
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