The Chicago Bears probably should have beaten the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in Week 11, and head coach Matt Eberflus is probably at least part of the reason they didn’t.
Chicago fell to Green Bay by a score of 20-19, losing its 11th straight game to the NFC North Division rival that has had the Bears’ number stretching back to last decade.
But on Sunday, November 17, the Bears were a 46-yard field goal away from erasing that streak of ineptitude after a stellar two-minute drive captained by quarterback Caleb Williams, during which he made several big plays including a fourth-down conversion to fellow rookie Rome Odunze on a beautiful back shoulder throw that kept Chicago’s chances alive.
The Bears got into field goal range but could have snapped the football again with roughly 20 seconds still on the clock and run a play to both gain more yards and position the ball wherever kicker Cairo Santos is most comfortable with it. Tom Brady, who was on the call Sunday, suggested that was what the team should do and noted what he regarded as perhaps a lapse in communication between the sideline and the players on the field.
Ultimately, Chicago ran the clock down to just a few seconds and lined up for the kick, which Packers defender Karl Brooks blocked with his fingertips, winning the game for Green Bay. After the loss, Eberflus defended his choice not to run another play before the field goal try.
“We felt good in terms of where the kick line was,” Eberflus said. “The wind was not a factor today, and Cairo has made a bunch of those kicks inside of that range. We feel confident in Cairo and confident in our operation there.”
Criticism of Matt Eberflus for Missed Kick May Not Be Entirely Fair
GettyHead coach Matt Eberflus of the Chicago Bears.
In fairness to Eberflus, criticizing his decision in that moment is playing the role of Monday morning quarterback to a considerable extent.
Chicago most likely only gains a few yards on another run play before snapping it a second time and spiking the ball to stop the clock and set up for the kick. That would have also created three more opportunities for something to go wrong — like a fumble, perhaps — on the two snaps and the running play in between.
Had the Bears decided to run a play and turned the football over or lost yards, Eberflus also would have caught the blame.
“You could say you could do that for sure, maybe get a couple more yards, but you’re also going to risk fumbling and different things there,” Eberflus continued. “I felt very confident where we were at that time with the wind and where we were on the field.”
Cairo Santos Had Low Trajectory on Kick, Leading to Second Guessing of Matt Eberflus’s Late-Game Decision Making
GettyKicker Cairo Santos of the Chicago Bears.
That said, the trajectory of Santos’ kick was a bit low, potentially because he was concerned about getting enough boot on the football to carry it the nearly 50 yards it needed to travel to make good on the attempt. A few yards closer and perhaps the kick has a higher arc, and perhaps Brooks isn’t able to get his hands on the football and the Bears come out winners.
Unfortunately for Eberflus, at this point second guessing is going to be a part of every loss after the Hail Mary debacle against the Washington Commanders a few weeks back.
The head coach has also fired two offensive coordinators in less than one calendar year and could find himself on the chopping block if the Bears can’t turn their season around. Chicago will try to break its four-game losing streak at Soldier Field against the Minnesota Vikings (8-2) next Sunday.
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