It is no secret that former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus was on the hot seat going into the 2024 season, coming off of three straight finishes of third/fourth place in the NFC North.
With rookie quarterback Caleb Williams selected first overall and major roster moves made to spark a turnaround, the hope was for early success. Instead, things went off the rails fast, and it became clear Eberflus had lost the team in the process.
Speaking with “Esquire” magazine, Williams detailed the moment in the 2024 season when he felt that Eberflus’ team had turned on him.
Caleb Williams Shares the Play That Changed the Bears’ Season
In Week 8 of the NFL season, the first game after Chicago’s bye week, the Bears had a 15-12 lead over the Washington Commanders. It was a game where the first and second overall picks of the 2024 NFL Draft were battling it out.
Jayden Daniels, the second overall pick, was under center for Washington. It was quiet from a passer’s perspective as the scoring came from field goals and two touchdown runs from the Bears backfield. The second put the Bears in front with 27 seconds left in the game.
What happened next changed the course of the season for Chicago. In just a matter of four plays, the Commanders won the game and sealed Matt Eberflus’ fate — he just did not know it yet. The Commanders got the ball at their 24-yard line, and an 11-yard completion caused the Commanders to use their last timeout. The Bears then allowed a 13-yard sideline completion, leaving six seconds on the clock and 52 yards of grass in front.
Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, knowing a Hail Mary play was coming, had his back to the line of scrimmage, instead celebrating early with the fans, seemingly doubting the Commanders would complete the play. Quickly, though, the celebration turned in favor of Washington, as Noah Brown reeled in the 52-yard catch to give the Commanders an 18-15 win.
Williams told “Esquire” of that loss, “How [Eberflus] handled it at that time, for that game, was, I think, one of the things that throughout the locker room people talked about and were annoyed by.”
Even more critical was that Eberflus downplayed any notion that the sideline completions impacted the final play. If just one of those passes had been incomplete, the throw for Daniels would have been much more challenging.
Eberflus’ seemingly laid-back approach ultimately cost him in Detroit on Nov. 28, when he was fired after the 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions. He refused to call a timeout after Williams was sacked on the second-to-last play of the game. Perhaps with that last timeout, a more organized Hail Mary of their own could have ended the losing streak at five games.
Williams is now looking forward to a new era in Chicago with new head coach Ben Johnson. Williams told “Esquire” that the plan for him and Johnson is to “go win big,” perhaps a slogan the Bears faithful will get behind if Johnson can provide results in Chicago.