NEWSLETTER
The hirings of Nathaniel Hackett (Broncos) and Matt Eberflus (Bears) have opened the floodgates. And suddenly, I regret skipping breakfast this morning.
• As someone who holds back audible groans when people mispronounce Luis, I feel like it’s important that we get this going off the jump:
#Bears fans: it’s ‘Eee-bur-floose.”
It was also “Neggy,” but everyone decided they’d rather it rhyme with ‘swaggy.’
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) January 27, 2022
• “E” like how you’d say the letter … “burr” like it was a Gucci Mane ad-lib … “floose” like you put “F” in front of loose. Hopefully, there won’t be much loose-ing moving forward with Eberflus (say it with me now!) in charge.
• This thread from Colts beat reporter on the new Bears head coach and the reaction from Colts fans is a journey:
Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is a finalist for two HC positions and continues to generate interest every hiring cycle. Meanwhile, the attitude about him among Colts fans is lukewarm AT BEST and many want him gone. It's interesting to me so I did some digging (thread)
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) January 27, 2022
Where I think there needs to be a dramatic improvement is on key third downs. Too many failures there, especially this season. Get off the field! But, again, that goes to pass rush. Those two things are inextricably linked.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) January 27, 2022
In the end, the Colts are watching the playoffs at home like the rest of us, so they have work to do. They have a lot of shit to figure out. Still, let's not oversimplify things that have layers. All I can tell you is the league doesn't view Eberflus the way many of you do. (END)
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) January 27, 2022
• You should give the whole thread a read as we all bone up on this together. There is much more Holder digs into. But, at minimum, the perspective is surely appreciated.
• Naturally, it didn’t take long for the Eberflus hire to sour on some folks. And the ink isn’t even dry yet:
Ralph called in to talk Matt Eberflus.
“I’ve been sitting here seeing a non-dynamic offense for last two decades and you hire a C-level defensive coordinator?"
“His nickname is going to be Eber-lose … It’s going to be the same crap as always.”
Listen: https://t.co/dpcgMJtScj pic.twitter.com/oRsNnWmkA7
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) January 27, 2022
• The cruel twist here is that the Bears just went down the path of hiring a hot offensive coordinator to reel in the talents of a young quarterback. Not only did it not work, it bottomed out in a pretty painful way. This isn’t to say I wouldn’t want to bark up that tree again. But I can understand the other side of zigging after zagging.
• And, hey, there is nowhere to go but up after bottoming out with the hot-shot quarterback-friendly coaching hire from 2018.
• We’ll be on fact-gathering missions for the foreseeable future when it comes to the Bears new head coach hire. In the meantime, I don’t think this would be the worst thing to hear from the new guy. It sure beats looking for the ‘why’s’ every week:
Bears fans and media: I hope you’re ready to hear a lot of “alignment, assignment, key and technique” over the next few years.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) January 27, 2022
• It would be quite the power move to pull this as an interviewee for the GM job. But Ryan Poles is a fresh face with new ideas. That alone piques my interest:
If I've got the timeline right, this would imply that Poles may have specifically requested a second interview for Eberflus when Poles was doing HIS second interview (i.e., "if you hire me, I'm gonna want to talk to this guy quickly").
Generally, I do like that implication. https://t.co/QhhMqyFuWm
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 27, 2022
• What do the Bears see in Eberflus? Brad Biggs (Tribune) explores that as he discusses Eberflus with players who played for and those who coached with the new Bears coach. And kudos to Biggs, who put this piece together on Wednesday. You might’ve seen it referenced in yesterday’s Bullets. If you did, then thanks for reading. I appreciate your support.
• Adam Jahns (The Athletic) did some diving on the three Bears head coach finalists. Obviously, you’ll want to focus on the Eberflus section.
• We sure do love takeaways:
Most takeaways in the NFL since 2018
(since Matt Eberflus was Colts DC)Patriots 116
Colts 107
Bills 106
Steelers 102
Chiefs 101
Rams 101 pic.twitter.com/A3OMLFAtjz— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 27, 2022
• This is a thing we’ll be obsessing over in the coming days (weeks? months?):
Matt Eberflus led a Colts defense that ranked second in takeaways for 2021 and first in TO%. He has done well to implement the vision of Chris Ballard.
Now that he arrives as Bears coach, Eberflus' first order of business is identifying the offense and coach for Justin Fields.
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) January 27, 2022
• Obsessive Aaron Rodgers Trade Proposal Watch will be a treat:
Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams for Jerry Jeudy, Bradley Chubb, Justin Simmons, 3 1sts and 2 2nds.
— Ian Kenyon (@IanKenyonNFL) January 27, 2022
• One quarterback who isn’t in the equation for a job anywhere next year is Ben Roethlisberger. The Pittsburgh Steelers QB is hanging ’em up:
A message from Ben:@steelers #NFL #SteelersNation #ThankYou#HereWeGo #LoveAndHonor pic.twitter.com/pUbKGO1nUs
— BigBen7.com (@_BigBen7) January 27, 2022
• Statistically, Roethlisberger had quite the career. He threw for 64,088 yards, 418 touchdowns, and finished with a 93.5 passer rating over an 18-season journey. There were six Pro Bowl trips and two Super Bowl titles won, too. But off-the-field issues (a motorcycle accident that occurred while operating under an expired temporary permit and a pair of high-profile sexual assault allegations that led to a suspension in 2010) are black marks on whatever legacy he has left in Pittsburgh.
• Byron Leftwich, who was once Roethlisberger’s backup with the Steelers, appears to have things lining up for him to take over the Jaguars job:
Hearing the Jaguars are close to hiring Adrian Wilson as their GM and Byron Leftwich as HC.
— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) January 27, 2022
• Earlier, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that the Jaguars were in Denver to pick up Vic Fangio and interview him for their head coach opening. Perhaps that is one of those things where that was a topic that allowed Jacksonville to ease into pitching Fangio on a possible Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator title. Just spitballin’. Teaming a first-time head coach (Leftwich) with an NFL old-head (Fangio) is a sensible concept.
• Well, this would throw a wrench in the Jaguars’ plans:
Saints have requested permission to interview Buccaneers OC Byron Leftwich for their head coaching job, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 27, 2022
• Maybe Saints want to see if he has some throws left in him. In any case, the Jaguars might want to speed up their process. Eberflus, a finalist in Jacksonville, is off the board. Losing Leftwich to the Saints would really take a ton of wind out of their sails. Putting Leftwich on an established staff and a solid front office wouldn’t be the worst idea.
• Front office changes are all the rage these days:
The #Blackhawks are moving forward in the front office searchhttps://t.co/CiGHvsRj3s
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 27, 2022
• Cubs baseball wouldn’t be what it is today without Sammy Sosa:
He may not be a Hall of Famer, but remember the time Sammy Sosa UNLOADED in the Home Run Derby in 2002 in Milwaukee? pic.twitter.com/15GkYGSDjy
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) January 27, 2022
• Russell Dorsey joining Cat Garcia for the latest episode of the Grab a Drink podcast means two of my favorite baseball writers linked up for a chat. Give it a listen. And if you missed my appearance, you should check that out, too.
• The Bulls aren’t the only team checking in on what is happening on the rumor mill:
NBA Rumor Roundup: The Grant Sweepstakes Continues, Other Names for Bulls, Harden Craziness, Lakers, Simmons, Morehttps://t.co/AMtr2Xpgq2 pic.twitter.com/Wm19O7sOtw
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 26, 2022
• Nice to see Justin Fields support Chicago’s other teams. And pretty cool to see him get the love right back:
Welcome QB1 @JustnFields!
✔️ 1st NFL season
✔️ 1st Bulls game pic.twitter.com/S9Cgc7Zs0f— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 27, 2022
Imagine them as a QB-WR duo 😮💨@ZachLaVine x @JustnFields pic.twitter.com/HsRvEvo2sq
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 27, 2022
Chicago ballers.@DeMar_DeRozan x @JustnFields pic.twitter.com/ijVnlKqd6M
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 27, 2022
