A lot can change in thirty days.
You can start a diet, finish a book, or in the case of the Chicago Bears, you can see your season take a dramatic turn.
Thirty days ago, the Bears were coming off back-to-back wins in which they scored 5 touchdowns in each game. Their rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams, was flashing qualities Bears fans were starving for when they drafted him first overall. Since then, the production of the Bears’ offense has been very bleak. They rank in the bottom third of the league in just about every offensive category.
Offense in turmoil
This turn in offensive production has sparked change at Halas Hall, as head coach Matt Eberflus has decided to relieve offensive coordinator Shane Waldron of his duties.
This comes after just 9 weeks of Waldron at the helm, guiding this Bears offense to ranking 31st in total yards, yards per play, and sacks. While the numbers do a good job of painting the ineptitude that is the Bears offense, the eye test might be even worse.
The lack of production from the offense, combined with the fact that Williams seems to be regressing as a passer, has the franchise in scramble mode. While changing the offensive coordinator may just be a band-aid solution, it is one that must be done.
Eberflus isn’t immune from the hot seat either. He will now be on his third coordinator in as many years and has the lowest winning percentage of any active coach not in their first year. The Bears have historically been lenient on head coaches, (they’ve never fired one mid-season) but Eberflus is certainly testing the limits of this philosophy.
Captaining the ship
Bears general manager Ryan Poles praised Eberflus’s ability to “captain the ship when the seas have storms”.
This came after a 7-10 season that saw Eberflus claim the franchise’s longest losing streak early in the season as the Bears stumbled out of the gates. While the Bears had a turbulent season last year, this current storm will put Eberflus to the test of leading this franchise back on the road to winning football.
The qualities qualities needed to win have come into question, however.
Several times throughout the season, Bears players have gone on the record pointing out a lack of accountability and poor practice habits. This is not a good look from a coaching staff that has seen lots of turnover during Eberflus’s tenure, including eight coaches in the last 15 months ( including Waldron).
This franchise is starved for success, last winning the division in 2018 and last winning a playoff game in 2011. Eberflus could be the next to go if his team doesn’t make major strides over the final 8 games of the season.
The last 30 days have been very tumultuous for the Bears. The next 30 do not get any easier as they open up their divisional schedule and sprinkle in a visit to the defending NFC champion 49ers. This will be a great litmus test for Eberflus and the Bears to see how they stack up with the best division in football. There will have to be significant improvements to the offense—and to the play of Caleb Williams—if Eberflus doesn’t want to be the next casualty at Halas Hall.
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