The defense has controlled the early part of training camp, making life difficult for the offense with forced punts and turnovers. As a result, they've been talking a lot, believing they are the far superior unit and the NFL better get ready for what's coming. It is important to note they've been doing this to an offense, learning a brand new system with a rookie quarterback. It would be alarming if they weren't winning the majority of drills, considering their depth of talent and knowledge of the scheme. Matt Eberflus certainly wasn't letting them slide.
He was asked about the unit's strong start to camp and whether they've ascended to a new level. The Bears head coach shrugged it off. His response indicated that he was tired of hearing about all the stats indicating whether the defense was elite or not. If they want his approval, they will have to show it on the field. Less talk, more action. His entire message is that individual accomplishments don't define this defense. It only works when all 11 players execute as one.
“Not really yet. I said it yesterday in the interview I was doing for Sirius XM. I said that what we do on the grass is what matters. So all the talk of all these numbers and all that stuff. People say top five. What does that really mean? What does it mean? We’re at the end of the year and you’re telling me we are top five? How do you know that? So, to me it’s about what we do on the grass. People can say all that, but to me it doesn’t mean anything. That’s not a hill of beans to me. It’s about what we do out there and how we execute as a group. The continuity and the availability we have together, and start building that up. Then, we’ll see where we are.”
Matt Eberflus knows better than to feed the egos of his players.
It is his job to ensure they keep their eyes on the prize. That means constantly working to be a little bit better every day. That is the only way the Bears will finally reach the mountaintop. Yes, the defense has played well. That isn't a surprise. He and GM Ryan Poles spent three years rebuilding it. Eberflus is an expert on that side of the ball. It is supposed to be good. The primary goal is to use their obvious ability to help the rest of the team improve. That is why the starting defense is practicing against the starting offense. Iron sharpens iron.
Everything is geared towards winning the Super Bowl. Across the Super Bowl era, teams have needed a defense to rank around sixth in the NFL to claim the crown. Chicago finished 12th last year. They still have a long way to go, and many believe they are a flawed unit with only one proven stud on the defensive line. Matt Eberflus can't have them getting overconfident. If they believe they're among the best, prove it on the field. Stop talking about it. Always think about raising the bar.
