Three Takeaways from Bears loss to Lions |
Hopefully, everyone had a safe and Happy Thanksgiving with their families and loved ones and spent some quality time after what the Bears did in the Morning. That's right, the Chicago Bears not only had a game on Thursday but also found a brand new way to lose, which is becoming a theme for this team.
This time, Matt Eberflus's unacceptable decision not to call a timeout in the final minutes led to time running out on the Bears before they could lineup and try a potential game-tying field goal. This team has now lost six straight games, with four of them coming on last-second plays leading to one-possession losses. Three of those four have come in the past three weeks against divisional opponents, which shows you the margin for error with this team. Chicago is far too talented to be a 4-8 team and had one play gone their way in each of the last three weeks. You are looking at an 8-4 team or, at worst, 7-5, which puts them right in the middle of the playoff race. Chicago is close, but they need to get out of their way. Here are some takeaways from the loss on Thanksgiving.
Despite going through several rough games earlier in the season, which is to be expected for a rookie, Caleb Williams continues to prove that he may not only be the best Rookie quarterback but also the Franchise quarterback this team is looking for. After throwing for just 34 yards in the first half, Williams torched the Lions secondary in the second half and finished with 256 yards passing and three TDs. All three TDs came in the second half as he continued to will his team back into games. What stands out the most about Williams is his ability to protect the ball—he has now gone six games without an Interception—and his poise when the game is on the line. Yes, the Bears lost yesterday, but for the third straight game, Williams had the ball in his hand with the game on the line and delivered. According to Nex-Gen stats, Williams should have had three consecutive game-winning drives had the Bears been able to execute the other factors of their game, and it's getting painful to witness that. Having a young quarterback be as poised as he is with the game on the line is an unteachable attribute, and Williams is going to continue to deliver when the game is on the line.
Believe it or not, the Bears are very much alive for the final playoff spot, and you can thank the Washington Commanders for that, who have now dropped three straight and seem to be fading. Yes, the Bears may be 4-8 and are still three games out of the final WC spot that Washington occupies, but if the past three weeks have proven anything, it would be that this team can play with anyone, including the best in the NFC. All it would take for Chicago to make things interesting would be to win out, and they would finish the season with a winning 9-8 record. Although that seems challenging, they still have three divisional games left against teams they should've beaten the first time and then two games against Seattle and San Francisco, who are both struggling. It will not be easy for the Bears, but if they continue to play the way they have the past three weeks, they can steal some wins down the stretch.
Everyone knows the history of the Chicago Bears firing head coaches mid-season, but the fact that Matt Eberflus wasn't fired after the game yesterday is all the proof you need that it will never happen. No one ever wants to single anyone out and blame them for losses, but Eberflus has single-handedly cost the Bears at least four games this season and several more over his career. Yesterday was the final straw for most fans if they haven't reached that point yet, as he chose to end the game with a timeout in hand instead of putting his team in a position to kick a game-tying Field Goal. Yes, I understand that Williams admitted he changed the last play at the line of scrimmage, which is why additional seconds came off, but there was no excuse for Eberflus not to take a time-out following the sack, which would have saved 33 seconds. Had he done that, Chicago could've drawn up at least one or two plays, given the situation, to either try for a first down and spike the ball or, at the very least, pick up 8-10 yards to make for a shorter field goal. None of that happened, and instead, the Bears got one more play where Williams threw the ball into the open field for a game-ending incompletion. This is just one of the many irresponsible decisions he has made as a head coach, and the Bears need to move on from him. UPDATE: Eberflus has been fired since this has been written.Caleb Williams is the real deal
Chicago will be a tough out
Fire Matt Eberflus NOW
