Matt Eberflus Sounds Like He Already Has His Scapegoat In Mind
Matt Eberflus had a chance to flip the script on his job security in Cleveland last Sunday. Things were going so well. His defense snagged three interceptions and sacked Joe Flacco repeatedly. It was right there. Sadly, as has often been the case not only this season but for many years, the Bears offense couldn’t pull its weight. They managed under 300 total yards and scored only 10 points. Seven of those were gifted to them by the defense off an interception that put them at the one-yard line.
Everything went wrong. The blocking was subpar. Two sure touchdowns were dropped. It was sloppy and pitiful. On top of it all, the playcalling was once again uninspired. Bears fans have had their fill of Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator. While he might not be the only problem with the offense, he is certainly one of the big ones. Eberflus was asked directly on Waddle & Silvy for ESPN 1000 if he might consider having somebody else call plays. His answer wasn’t all that surprising.
“Luke Getsy’s our offensive coordinator and he’ll be calling the plays.”
A change this late in the season wouldn’t help anyway.
However, Silvy pressed further with another question. If Eberflus survives another year, would he consider a change at offensive coordinator? This is where the head coach had a chance to throw his full support behind Getsy. Instead, he sidestepped the question entirely.
“Yeah, we’re focusing on Arizona and that’s where our feet are and our mindset is and where our eyes are. We’re focused on improving and getting better and putting our best foot forward this week.”
Matt Eberflus likely sees the writing on the wall.
He’s done a terrific job turning around the Bears defense. It has morphed into one of the NFL’s best. That is the base of his argument for staying. However, if the organization is to entertain keeping him, they will need his solution for the ongoing problems on offense. He is the one who hired Luke Getsy away from Green Bay last year, feeling his knowledge of the wide-zone scheme made famous by the Shanahans was critical to his vision for the team. His first year saw the offense finish 23rd in scoring. This year, despite the arrival of D.J. Moore and offensive line reinforcements, it ranks 22nd.
If Matt Eberflus wants to save his job, he may have to toss somebody under the bus. Getsy is the obvious choice. It sure sounds like he is already preparing to do exactly that. If the head coach were convinced the coordinator wasn’t the problem, he would’ve offered public support without a second thought. He passed. That is a surefire sign changes are coming next month.