Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus spoke with reporters Monday at Halas Hall to overview his workforce’s 31-26 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Ford Field.
Here are 4 issues we heard throughout that session.
1. Matt Eberflus mentioned coaches are reviewing their obligations for the fourth-quarter collapse.
The Lions scored 17 unanswered factors to finish the sport, and Eberflus was requested a number of questions concerning the coaches’ position within the unraveling.
He mentioned that, like gamers, the coaches take accountability for his or her missteps. But he declined to offer particular examples, citing a want to not give an excessive amount of away to future opponents.
“You always look and say, ‘Should I have called this? Should I have called that? Should I be more aggressive here? Less aggressive there?’” Eberflus instructed reporters. “If you’re an offensive coordinator or a defensive coordinator, you always look and say, ‘Hey, what would I do better here and how would I grow in this moment?’”
However, Eberflus didn’t appear to second-guess a few of the Bears’ key selections. When requested about three straight run performs that gained 5 yards late within the fourth quarter, he mentioned, “We love those plays we had there.”
After these performs, the Bears settled for a 39-yard Cairo Santos discipline objective and a 26-14 lead with 4 minutes, 15 seconds to play.
Eberflus mentioned the Bears additionally preferred their selections to kick discipline objectives moderately than go for it on each that play and a fourth-and-1 play earlier within the fourth quarter. The earlier resolution was made after Justin Fields was stopped for no acquire on third-and-1. Santos made a 40-yarder, and the Bears went up by 9 factors.
The collapse in opposition to the Lions wasn’t the Bears’ largest of the season. They allowed the Denver Broncos to return again from 21 factors down within the second half to win in Week 4.
And whereas Eberflus contended the Bears confirmed they will end video games in wins in opposition to the Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers, Sunday’s loss introduced into query whether or not they can do it in opposition to higher groups.
“Obviously the last couple series there offensively and defensively, we’ve got to do a better job of finishing,” Eberflus mentioned. “We confirmed the blokes that within the unit conferences and took accountability as gamers and coaches. That’s a giant a part of the educational course of.
“We just need to do a good job of focusing on that, on individual improvement, on unit improvement and how to finish those games out the right way.”
2. Left sort out Braxton Jones mentioned he was pulled off the sector due to a dizzy spell.
Jones was visibly upset when NFL concussion spotters pulled him from the sport with the Bears trailing by some extent late within the third quarter.
Jones got here off the sector and was evaluated for a concussion earlier than being rapidly cleared to return. While he was proven on the printed yelling, “I couldn’t (expletive) see,” Jones mentioned it was simply transient dizziness.
He mentioned the frustration got here from desirous to be there for his teammates.
“I had rolled and tumbled and I just got up way too quick,” he mentioned. “Just obtained just a little dizzy. I simply wanted a second. The refs took me off. I used to be evaluated.
“I was completely fine, honestly. I just think I was tired, needed 10 seconds to re-gather myself, but we didn’t have 10 seconds, obviously. The play clock was going down. Just needed to get off and get evaluated.”
3. Dan Feeney practiced to be the backup middle all week.
When Lucas Patrick went out with a again damage, it was Feeney who stuffed in at middle and never 117-game Bears starter Cody Whitehair. Feeney is a seven-year NFL veteran however had performed solely three offensive snaps this season earlier than Sunday.
The Bears benched Whitehair, who has performed guard and middle, with guard Nate Davis’ return to the lineup.
“You only can prep one center to back up, and Feeney was the guy to do that,” Eberflus mentioned. “He obviously has experience at that position, and then Cody was going to back up the guard spots. We just felt that was the best continuity at the time.”
Eberflus mentioned the Bears are sending the hit on which Patrick obtained harm — after the play had been blown lifeless — to the league for overview.
“I talked to the ref about it, we discussed it and we’ll leave it at that,” Eberflus mentioned. “We’ll see what they say.”
4. Defensive finish Montez Sweat’s taking part in time was the results of a rotation.
Sweat was on the sector for 39 snaps, 63% of Bears defensive performs. Eberflus was requested whether or not they want Sweat, who signed a four-year, $98 million contract extension earlier this month, to be on the sector extra, particularly throughout late-game drives.
“For sure we want him out there more, but those guys are rotating,” Eberflus mentioned. “(Defensive line coach Travis Smith) rotates them out and in. Usually, they’re 5 to seven performs — someplace in there — throughout the two-minute drive like that.
“You’ve just got to platoon them and get them in there fresh. And when those lead dogs are fresh, you put them back in. You’ve got to do that because those guys are throwing their fastball every time.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com