There are still a lot of questions about Bears coach Matt Eberflus, but there’s no doubt he’s a masterful defensive play-caller. It’s how he rose to this level, and his unexpectedly taking on that role has made a big difference for the Bears.
Eberflus’ overarching responsibility, however, hasn’t changed since the Bears hired him. It won’t be enough to orchestrate an overwhelming defense if quarterback Caleb Williams isn’t making significant progress and the team isn’t stacking victories.
Eberflus’ fingerprints were all over the win against the Titans last week, from the swarming defense to left guard Teven Jenkins citing his fear of getting a “loaf” in the effort-based grading system for sparking him to chase down Rome Odunze’s fumble.
But the offense’s shortfalls are on him, as well, and he must have a firm hand in redirecting it this week against the Texans.
Any frustration with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron should land on Eberflus’ desk, too. The Bears were sure to show -Eberflus frequently working with Williams in “Hard Knocks,” and overseeing his growth is his most important task this season. Eberflus is just as accountable for igniting the Bears’ rushing attack as he is for neutralizing their opponents’.
Finding a way to win last week when Williams managed just 93 yards passing was terrific, but it’s not a blueprint for the season. While the Bears are built to give Williams margin as a rookie, that was an extreme example of their formula working. There’s little chance it’ll suffice in the future and almost no shot against a contender such as the Texans.
The addition of defensive coordinator Eric Washington should give Eberflus some flexibility to divert more of his work hours to the offense. Washington had coordinator experience before taking this job and was assistant head coach for the Bills last season.
He has already made a difference. Washington jumps in as head of the defense anytime Eberflus can’t, which is frequent during games. Being an offensive or defensive play-caller can be problematic for head coaches because they must attend to the other phases of the game and handle everything from timeouts to fourth downs to replay reviews.
That was the main concern with Eberflus going back on his plan by stepping in as defensive coordinator when Alan Williams left early last season for non-football reasons and choosing to hold on to that this season. By delegating all the other duties of a coordinator to Washington, it’s been manageable.
“He has been amazing,” Eberflus said. “A-plus job in terms of leading the defense and helping organize the practices.”
When the Bears’ offense is on the field, Washington goes over the previous series with the defense on their tablets. He also funnels information to Eberflus, who uses TV timeouts and punts or kickoffs to jump back into the defense.
That part isn’t hard for him. He has been coaching defense for more than four decades, including 15 years at the coordinator or head-coach level. Players haven’t seen a hiccup.
“He called a really good game against the Titans, especially that one call that forced the pick-six,” safety Kevin Byard said, referring to Eberflus sending nickel Kyler Gordon on a blitz that led to Will Levis throwing a pick-six. “He rolled the dice a little bit, and it was a perfectly timed blitz.”
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who gets the plays from Eberflus on the radio in his helmet, said there is “good communication” and has gotten to a point where he accurately anticipates the calls.
“I know how he sees the game,” Edmunds said. “It’s pretty steady.”
All of that is great for the Bears and showcases one of Eberflus’ best talents, but that alone merely makes him a good defensive coordinator. The Bears need to see more than that, because it’s going to be impossible to keep winning the way they did in Week 1.