In the aftermath of the epic mishandling of the final minutes of their Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions, the Chicago Bears have fired head coach Matt Eberflus.
Eberflus and the Bears blew a good opportunity to at least tie Thursday’s game at the end of regulation after mounting an impressive comeback. Down 16-0 at halftime, the Bears rallied back to move the ball into Lions territory and down 23-20 with under a minute to play. But the Lions defense recorded a sack, and then everything spiraled badly out of control for Eberflus and rookie QB Caleb Williams. The clock ran out when Eberflus didn’t call timeout or instill any urgency or coherent plan into his offense.
That was not the first, nor even the second, late-game blunder for Eberflus this season. It will be his last, however–much to the relief of Bears fans.
Eberflus finishes his Bears tenure with a 14-32 record. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, himself just promoted this month after the Bears fired prior OC Shane Waldron, will take over as Chicago’s interim coach.
The move comes almost exactly four years after the Lions fired Matt Patricia for similar gross incompetence at head coach.
