Lions broke what was left of Matt Eberflus and Caleb Williams relationship

Since 2022, the Chicago Bears have a 5-19 record in games that have been decided by one possession, worst in the NFL.

That doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon, as Chicago keeps inventing baffling ways to lose games. The Bears rallied for a fourth-quarter comeback against the Detroit Lions, but ultimately suffered a 23-20 loss.

Chicago started the final drive of the game pinned on their own 1-yard line. As per usual, quarterback Caleb Williams held onto the ball too long and created several negative plays, the offensive line failed to provide adequate protection, and penalties constantly erased big gains. Still, Chicago nearly drove the entire length of the field.

On a fourth-and 4 with 56 seconds remaining, the Lions gifted Chicago new life with a 29-yard pass interference penalty. The Bears had the ball at Detroit’s 25-yard line, but a 10-yard penalty and 6-yard sack pushed them back to the 41-yard line. Instead of using a timeout or attempted a quick pass to get back into field goal range, the Bears simply took one last deep shot and let the game end.

Matt Eberflus deflects questions about his job after disastrous Thanksgiving game

During his postgame press conference, Eberflus was asked if he was concerned about his job security.

“This is the NFL,” Eberflus responded. “I know where it is. I’m just going to put my best foot forward and I’m going to get to work and keep grinding. That’s what we do.”

When the Bears lost on a last-second blocked field goal against the Green Bay Packers, fans criticized head coach Matt Eberflus for not attempting to drive closer to the end zone before attempting a long field goal. In retrospect, that may have been too much to ask. This time, Eberflus watched the clock run out despite being near field goal range and still having one timeout left.

When asked if he expects to retain his job after this performance, Eberflus reiterated his previous response.

“Like I said, I’m just going to keep grinding and working,” Eberflus said. “And that’s what I do.”

Eberflus was also asked about players stating that he didn’t address the team in the locker room as he usually does after the game. The embattled head coach denied the claim, stating that it was the “same operation.”

As for the message he delivered to players, Eberflus said he told players that he knows “it’s hard, it’s difficult, but we still have a lot to be thankful for.”

When asked about players whose confidence in their head coach has been shaken, Eberflus told reporters he would advise the team to “pull together.”

That's not an ideal solution, and given Williams believes he did what was required of him, Bears fans should expect better.