From a Hail Mary to a Hail Storm: the Belief in Eberflus is Gone.

Bears Head Coach (for now) Matt Eberflus was mocked on social media for his halftime conversation with CBS Sideline Reporter Evan Washburn in which he said: “I told them that ‘Hey, this is what the score is and we have each other,’” he said. “And that’s what we’re gonna do.” (Image: CBS Sports)

The Bears have turned losing into an incredible art form.

Last week, it was a last-second Hail Mary defeat to the Washington Commanders — a gut punch that left fans questioning how much more they could endure. This week, the team traveled to Arizona, only to be met with an actual hailstorm in the desert. The only thing more out of place than the weather was the Bears’ performance.

Under Matt Eberflus, the numbers tell a painful story. The Bears are 0–18 on the road on Sundays, with their last Sunday road win dating all the way back to Christmas week 2021. My kindergartner is halfway through fourth grade since the last time the Bears pulled it off. Overall, Eberflus is just 3–19 on the road and a dismal 2–10 against NFC North rivals. Even worse, four times the Bears have had a 92%+ chance to win in the fourth quarter, only to collapse in spectacular fashion. Eberflus’ record sits at 14–28, and somehow, it keeps getting worse.

That random snowy win over the Seahawks with Nick Foles at quarterback might feel like a distant memory for most, but I remember it clearly the Sunday after Christmas 2021— because I spent the entire game building a dollhouse for my daughters, putting in more effort than the Bears offense does most Sundays. That dollhouse? It’s already been donated to Goodwill. That’s how long it’s been in my world since a Bears win felt worth remembering.

This was supposed to be the dawn of a new era. With Caleb Williams as the 2024 first-overall pick, a fresh playbook from Shane Waldron, and Eberflus leading the way, there was hope that things might finally change. But belief in this team is fragile, and it’s collapsing faster with each game. If Eberflus was hired to change the culture, it’s hard to tell what that culture even is — other than disappointment.

Take Cole Kmet, for instance. A top-tier tight end, capable of making a difference every time he’s on the field. In July 2023, Kmet signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension, including $32.8 million guaranteed and $20 million in new first-year cash. Yet Waldron’s play-calling has somehow managed to erase him from the game plan entirely. Kmet’s practically vanished, just when a safety net for Williams could make all the difference. Speaking of safety nets, why is Keenan Allen even here? Should he be here after next week (trade deadline)?

It’s a stunning misuse of talent that speaks to the deeper problems with this team’s leadership. For all the talk about giving Williams support, the Bears seem intent on setting him up for failure.

Even when it was time to pull the plug on Caleb Williams’ day, the Bears couldn’t even get that right. On the final, meaningless play of the game, Williams “tweaked” his ankle — an unnecessary risk to the face and foundation of the franchise. To put him in harm’s way in a game that was clearly already lost shows a level of recklessness that’s fireable on its own merit.

Caleb Williams takes one the Bears 6 allowed sacks to a Cardinals defense that had only picked up 15 sacks in 8 games prior in 2024. (Michael Chow / Arizona Republic)

As for the defense — supposedly Eberflus’ specialty — it’s been very good this season…until last week’s Hail Mary disaster. Today, they looked lethargic, deflated, and uninterested, giving up a staggering 213 rushing yards to an offense without an identity. Coming off a week where players openly questioned the coaches, you can’t help but wonder if this defense has checked out.

In Arizona, under an open roof with rain and hail pouring down, the Bears had every chance to make a statement. They could have shaken off the last-minute heartbreak of the week before and shown that this team still has fight. Instead, they offered more of the same: sloppy execution, missed opportunities, and a defense that couldn’t stop a middle school running back.

The Bears under Eberflus have become notorious for finding ways to lose, in increasingly exasperating fashion. This franchise has never fired a head coach midseason, but there’s a first time for everything — and this season might be begging for it. After a Hail Mary loss one week and a hail storm disaster the next, it’s clear the Matt Eberflus experiment isn’t working. Chicago deserves better than a coach who’s in over his head, and with the NFL’s toughest schedule still ahead, I’m not sure we want to find out just how low this can go. Let’s break tradition, show fans that accountability matters, and turn the page on this chapter before it does any more damage to an already fragile belief.