Bears News: Eberflus on loss to Vikings: "I'm very pleased with the effort and way the team finished" |
CHICAGO—The Chicago Bears pulled off the impossible with a successful onside kick recovery against the Minnesota Vikings. However, it was all for naught. Despite forcing overtime and winning the coin toss, the Bears lost the game.
Nonetheless, head coach Matt Eberflus is proud of Chicago for how they finished the game and the growth displayed by the team. “I’m very pleased with the effort and the way the team finished. Didn’t get it done at the end, but put ourselves in a position to win the game at the very end two weeks in a row. So, that’s grit, determination, working together to be able to get that done and now, we just have to finish better and to me, that’s about the details at every position. It’s about the details in coaching,” Eberflus said. “We have to just do a better job of getting that done to finish the way we need to. But, the fight’s there. The determination’s there. I see growth within the football team, which is outstanding, getting better every single week starting with our quarterback. That’s important and him just distributing the ball, getting more confident, timely throws and I think it’s really been good to see him come together with the offense during that time.” Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams had a strong outing despite the game's outcome. He threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, his first in over a month. Minnesota’s defense, led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, can throw a lot at a quarterback, including exotic blitzes, and cover zero. However, Williams handled it relatively well. He was only sacked three times in the game, although one of those was at the worst possible time, when the Bears were on their second offensive play in overtime. The sack killed the drive, allowing Minnesota to get the ball back and kick a field goal to win the game. Nonetheless, Eberflus focused more on the positive aspects of Williams’ performance in that game, including his accuracy and his reading of the defense. “Last week was a big challenge in terms of front variation, coverage variation, the pressure looks and then dropping out, pressure looks and then pressuring and to be able to handle that and get the ball out in a timely manner, to be able to check to the protections at times when he needed to which was really good too and then being able to strike the ball down the field because that’s where the open spaces were based on what they were presenting to us,” Eberflus said. “Really good job with the tight-window throws and getting the ball in space, and decision-making was really good.” Complementary football is essential in the NFL. It is also something the Bears have not been able to do. When the offense has not been able to score, the defense has not always held up their end of the bargain, such as in overtime when they allowed the Vikings to go almost 70 yards down the field and kick a game-winning field goal. When the offense has found its groove, the defense is not always able to respond. There have been times when special teams gave Chicago good field position and the offense failed to take advantage. Overall, complementary football has been a problem for the Bears, and Eberflus hopes it will improve when the Bears take on the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving (11:30 a.m. / CBS). “We got to play complementary football for us to be able to win these games and the games that we’ve won, we’ve done that and the games that we’ve been close, we’ve just missed the mark a little bit and (throughout) the course of the year, it’s been one side or the other side and this side or that side,” Eberflus said. “But, in this league, you have to be good on all sides to win and so, that’s what we’re searching for. We’re searching for continuity, execution on all sides during this game right here.”
