Matt Eberflus hasn’t been fired yet. Many believe it’s inevitable at this point. Despite beating the Vikings on Monday night, nothing about that victory says the Chicago Bears head coach has figured things out. It took a last-second field goal to beat a team without its starting quarterback and best offensive player. Despite another stellar first three quarters, his defense gave up the lead in the 4th quarter again. The status quo hasn’t changed. Until he puts together an actual win streak or beats a good team, his job cannot and should not be considered safe.
The obvious question is if the Bears were to dismiss him after the season, do they have a replacement in mind? Speculation often brings up guys like Jim Harbaugh, Ben Johnson, Kellen Moore, and Eric Bieniemy. However, a source contacted SM indicating those aren’t the names to watch. The one to keep an eye on is Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.
Even as the discussions around Matt Eberflus and Justin Fields remain ongoing, one person in the Chicago Bears organization no longer getting heat is Ryan Poles. The young GM deserves some blame for hiring Eberflus, but nobody can deny that he has done a stellar job refilling the team’s talent pool. Monday night in Minnesota was one of the best showcases yet for several of his draft picks. Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker both had interceptions. Roschon Johnson had 75 yards from scrimmage and a highlight block in pass protection. Gervon Dexter created havoc as an interior pass rusher, and Darnell Wright more than held his own against Danielle Hunter.
This doesn’t even include D.J. Moore going for 114 yards and Montez Sweat notching 1.5 sacks. Both were trade acquisitions this year. It is hard to ignore what the Bears are building. Several young additions are starting to blossom. It serves as a strong indication that Poles has a good eye for talent. The Bears are 4-4 in their last eight games. Sure, it hasn’t always been pretty, but it feels like the team is trending in the right direction. Not only that, but the GM may have set the team up for another top-3 pick next spring, thanks to the trade with Carolina.
