Bears' Eberflus stands by decision not to run another play prior to blocked FG against Packers

 

[November 19, 2024]  By ANDREW SELIGMAN

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — A day later, Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus stood by his decision to let the clock wind down rather than run another play prior to a last-second field goal attempt against Green Bay.

The Bears ended a chaotic week in which they fired their offensive coordinator with their fourth straight loss, falling 20-19 to the Packers on Sunday when Green Bay blocked Cairo Santos' 46-yard kick as time expired.

“Yeah, I would do the same,” Eberflus said Monday. “Would you like to be closer? Yeah, sure. You’d like it be at the 15-yard line. But it is where it is and you could have done a bunch of different things there.”

Chicago was in position to stop a skid that began with a loss at Washington on a Hail Mary pass. Instead, the Bears (4-6) fell for the second time in four games on a last-second play.

They led 19-14 before Jordan Love scored from the 1 to give the Packers a one-point lead with 2:59 remaining.

Caleb Williams got sacked on the first two plays of the next drive, putting Chicago in a third-and-19 hole at its 21. Just when it looked like the Bears were buried, Williams completed two passes to Rome Odunze that put them in Green Bay territory.

A 12-yard catch by Keenan Allen gave them a first down at the 30 with 35 seconds remaining. After a 2-yard rush up the middle by Roschon Johnson, Chicago could have run another play to try to shorten the distance on a field goal. Instead, Eberflus opted to let the clock run before calling a timeout with 3 seconds remaining.

Karl Brooks got through the center of the line and reached up with his left hand to block Santos’ kick, preserving the Packers' 11th straight win over the Bears. Eberflus said the risks of running another play outweighed the potential reward of a shorter attempt.

“They stunt or whatever and you false start, you go backwards, you look at all that,” the embattled coach said. “You run an outside play, they call holding. You throw a pass it gets tipped, whatever it is. You feel good about your decision there.”

The Bears can't feel good about their season. Being last in the NFC North is not what they had in mind. Chicago came into the year with its sights set on a playoff spot after going a combined 10-24 the first two years under Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles.

“We don’t come in this building to lose,” safety Kevin Byard said. “There are things that happen during the game that we can be better and that in totality is the reason why we lose games. But at the end of the day, we have to continue to work and make sure that we’re not separating. And I think we’re a close group as a team. I don’t really worry about that, honestly.”

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

What’s working
The defense. The Bears continue to be stingy when it comes to giving up points. They were seventh in scoring defense through Sunday.

What needs help
Scoring. The Bears had a better flow in their first game since offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired and Thomas Brown replaced him. The offense racked up 391 yards and dominated time of possession 36:21-23:39 after struggling in recent weeks.

When it comes to reaching the end zone, there's still work to do. The offense at least scored two touchdowns after going two games and 25 possessions without one. But two TDs and 19 points isn't a winning recipe.

Stock up
Williams. The No. 1 overall draft pick completed 23 of 31 passes for 231 yards. He also had the highest rushing total of his career with 70 yards. Above all, he looked more comfortable after struggling the previous three games.

Stock down
CB Jaylon Johnson. The Packers might not have scored the go-ahead touchdown had the star cornerback stayed upright a few plays earlier. Johnson tripped when he got his feet tangled trying to defend a throw to Christian Watson, who got up after making a lunging catch and ran all the way to the 14. Love scored from the 1 two plays later.

Injuries
LG Ryan Bates was in the concussion protocol after leaving Sunday's game, and S Elijah Hicks was being evaluated after rolling his ankle.

Key number
5-17 — The Bears' record in one-possession games under Eberflus, who is 14-30 overall.

Next steps
The Bears will try to stop their skid when they host Sam Darnold and the division rival Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

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