NEWSLETTER
Matt Eberflus’ public handling of Justin Fields injury status has been flat-out embarrassing. And just when I thought we had already hit peak incompetence, Eberflus found a new way to fail at basic-level communication — which has further complicated a situation that needed no complication whatsoever.
We tackled the bare bones of Eberflus’ comments (Fields doubtful … not medically cleared … not going to play … but not ruled out) in a post yesterday. But Daniel Greenberg shared the video of Coach Flus’ commentary and exchange with reporters at Halas Hall. And if I didn’t know any better, I would’ve guessed this was pulled from some sketch comedy bit parodying an NFL coach. But I know better. And it wasn’t:
The reporters’ exasperation there is palpable.
You can watch Matt Eberflus’ 9-minute press availability in its entirety here. But if you don’t want to, I can’t blame you. With that in mind, here are the three most notable quotable:
- Is it a medical staff thing? “Like I said, he’s not medically cleared to go right now. He’s getting better, though. Accuracy is improving. He’s throwing it better. And he’s starting to do more and more and more. So we’ll see where it goes. Right now, we’re listing him as doubtful. We’ll see where it goes from there.”
- “Yeah, it’s really just the clearances. Obviously, he’s got to be cleared to play by the medical staff. So, it’s really about him feeling good about it and the medical staff saying he can go in there and function. He’s just not there at this time.”
- Is it a grip thing? “It’s everything. It’s all … it’s all improving. The grip strength, the accuracy, the ability to function as a quarterback. It’s all right there. It’s getting close.”
Heavy sighs.
I’ve been sitting on this thought since early October when Eberflus fumbled around while getting grilled with questions about Chase Claypool. And I’m ready to share it with the class.
Matt Eberflus fails at basic levels of communication. So much so that we’ve reached the point of public embarrassment. What makes this worse is that this has been going on for years and with several different Bears coaches. We’ve been down this road before:
- With the Matt Nagy word salad variety hour
- Dick Jauron saying “that’s not my show, but I’m on that show” when talking about something that happened on his weekly radio show.
- Marc Trestman saying: “I haven’t heard any of that. I didn’t hear all of it. I heard a lot about most of it. But what I did hear, I did not hear any of that.”
- I could go on, but won’t (because I value our collective mental health as a fanbase).
If this was a one-time thing, then I would’ve just brushed it off. But it is constant and concerning. Clearly, this is normal and acceptable behavior for the Chicago Bears franchise because it keeps happening. If it wasn’t acceptable in the eyes of the higher-ups, they would’ve put an end to this years ago.
Matt Eberflus is about to be put to the test
I’m not saying this is a must-win game for the Chicago Bears. But it feels like one because of the circumstances surrounding the team. Firstly, losing to a one-win Panthers outfit when your team came into the year with the general manager *AND* head coach publicly opining that these Bears had playoff dreams would be a tough look. Secondly, the Bears need the Panthers to lose more than they need a win. Every Panthers loss brings Chicago’s football team closer to the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. From there, they can set course on a new path with a new quarterback and a blank slate.
On top of all of that, the remaining games on the schedule will be a test for Matt Eberflus. Will players in his defensive scheme show growth? Can his hand-picked offensive coordinator generate points? Can he keep this team from falling apart amidst another losing season? Or will it all fall apart and give us clearer-than-clear signs that a breakup is necessary after Game 17 goes in the books? As my pops say: That’s why they play the games. And as the hottest pop star going once said, Baby, let the games begin.
