Matt Eberflus is in his third season. Hall of Fame head coach Dick Vermeil said if you didn't win in your first two years as head coach, you better win your third, or you're not going to be there. That is the situation Eberflus finds himself in. After another dispiriting loss in Indianapolis, he is 11-26 as head coach of the Chicago Bears. His .297 winning percentage is currently the third-worst in franchise history, trailing only John Fox (.291) and Abe Gibron (.268). Both of those men were fired after their third seasons.
While Eberflus has done a good job elevating the Bears' defense back to the level of NFL elites, he continues to flounder where most of his predecessors did. He can't get the offense going. Despite an infusion of talent at almost every position and the arrival of a young quarterback with high-level talent in Caleb Williams, the Bears are 22nd in scoring and 30th in total yards. This comes despite Eberflus changing offensive coordinators from Luke Getsy to Shane Waldron.
Two other coaches in the same division are making him look even more inept, adding fuel to the fire under his seat.
Matt Eberflus looks completely hopeless among his NFC North peers.
Matt Lafleur lost Jordan Love to a knee injury after the opening night loss to Philadelphia. He responded by getting a 122.7 passer rating out of backup Malik Willis and compiling over 400 yards rushing in the past two weeks. Somehow, Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings has one-upped that by resurrecting the career of Sam Darnold. Everybody felt the former #3 overall pick was a lost cause. Now he's thrown for 657 yards, eight touchdowns, and only two interceptions while pushing the Vikings to a 3-0 record.
Meanwhile, Matt Eberflus may have somehow picked a replacement who is worse than Getsy. The Bears could at least run the ball with him. They can't under Waldron. The team is plagued with constant mental miscues and lacks any sort of identity. Eberflus always talks about playing with intensity and effort. It seems that only applies to the defensive side of the ball, which is exactly what critics of his hiring feared. He would fall into the same trap Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith did in previous years.
While the Bears may have finally upgraded at quarterback, it's becoming clear they still face a huge gap at head coach.
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