Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus found himself in a tough spot on Sunday night when he threw his challenge flag twice, only to see both challenges end in failure as replays confirmed the calls on the field were correct. This prompted some to wonder why Eberflus doesn’t have someone feeding him information on whether or not to challenge.
Eberflus defended his team’s process, stating that they usually handle challenges well, but in this particular instance, it was challenging to get a good look at the replays in time for the critical decisions.
“We have a good process for that,” Eberflus explained. “It’s a little bit different when you can’t see the monitor right away, and it’s a critical play like a third down or a takeaway, so we do put a little more weight on those, but we have a good process.”
The plays Eberflus challenged involved a questionable Texans conversion on third down that the Bears believed was incomplete, and another where Eberflus thought the Bears had intercepted the ball. Despite the unsuccessful challenges, Eberflus stood by his decision, emphasizing the potential impact of those plays.
“We’ve been pretty clean overall since we’ve been here, those were just situations where we didn’t get a great look at it, and they were critical downs, so we made a decision to do it, and it didn’t work out,” Eberflus said.
Following the disappointing loss, Eberflus acknowledged the team’s frustration but emphasized the importance of bouncing back in the NFL.
“We’re all disappointed in the loss, and we should be,” Eberflus expressed. “In the NFL it’s how you respond that matters, and you don’t have a lot of time to do that. . . . What I was most proud of was that the guys fought all the way to the end, and we had a chance to win the game to the last possession. We didn’t get that done in the end.”
Eberflus, known for his strategic approach to the game, continues to navigate the challenges of coaching in the competitive world of American football. It remains to be seen how he and the Bears will rebound from this setback as they strive for success in the season ahead.
