Midway through a season of frustration and disappointment, the Chicago Bears' locker room reached a boiling point following their heartbreaking Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders. Head coach Matt Eberflus' handling of the game cost the Bears a crucial victory and led to a significant rift between him and his players.
Many people won't remember that the Bears were 4-2 at the time and coming off their bye. Despite playing poorly the entire game, Chicago took their first lead with just 27 seconds remaining. However, the Commanders quickly moved down the field, completing two sideline passes to set up a Hail Mary attempt. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels launched a 63-yard pass that was caught for a 52-yard touchdown, sealing an 18-15 victory for the Commanders.
Rather than a 5-2 start with a promising rookie quarterback, things quickly fell apart for Chicago. In a recent interview with Esquire magazine via Chicago Sun-Times, Williams pointed to the Washington loss as the turning point of last season.
Caleb Williams points to Hail Mary loss as turning point of Matt Eberflus era
“How [Eberflus] handled it at that time, for that game, was, I think, one of the things that throughout the locker room," Williams said. The way Eberflus casually threw players under the bus and never took any accountability was something many Bears fans were frustrated with. And you can tell that players were as well, as the loss marked the beginning of the end of what was supposed to be a promising season for Williams and the Bears.
That play contributed to a tailspin, causing the Bears to lose 10 straight games, including another heartbreaking Thanksgiving Day loss to the Detroit Lions. You might remember Eberflus refused to call a timeout in the final seconds of the game, allowing the clock to expire. It led to a confrontation in the locker room, and Eberflus was fired the next day, making him the first coach in franchise history to be fired midseason.
Despite being sacked 68 times last season, Williams managed to survive and started every game. He helped end that 10-game losing streak with a victory over the division rival Green Bay Packers late in the year, showing promise despite a less-than-ideal situation.
“I think those losses were pretty important for me and my growth,” Williams told the magazine. “To go on a losing streak, to be in this position and be at the helm of it, was definitely important for me. Just being able to see how I need to be when times are bad."
The bright side of all the debacle the Bears had to endure was that it led to the hiring of Ben Johnson, who made his name as an innovative offensive coordinator for the Lions. He, along with head coach Dan Campbell, helped raise that franchise out of mediocrity with consecutive NFC North titles, winning 27 games over the last two seasons. Many have high hopes that Johnson will do the same for the Bears.
The lessons from Eberflus' disastrous tenure are a stark reminder of the importance of leadership and effective communication. Eberflus failed to maintain morale and unity during challenging times. Williams' interview highlights were another reminder of how bad Eberflus was, and some high hopes for Johnson to right the ship and pay dividends immediately.