By the time Thanksgiving rolled around last year, we all knew that Matt Eberflus was a dead man walking in Chicago. There was no doubt that he should be fired. Heck, he should have been fired the moment the Bears decided they were moving on from Justin Fields and drafting Caleb Williams, but that didn’t happen.
Chicago ran it back with Flus, and the results were an unmitigated disaster in 2024. That disaster rolled into November, when Eberflus turned in such an embarrassing performance that the conservative-by-nature McCaskey family ownership made an unprecedented move by firing their head coach during the season for the first time ever.
Eberflus’ final stand came in Detroit, on the opposite sideline from Chicago’s eventual head coach Ben Johnson. Before Johnson returns to that very sideline tomorrow, let’s relive the game that set in motion the eventual hiring of Johnson, if for no other reason than to take a moment to appreciate what we have, even after a disappointing Week 1 loss.
© David Reginek-Imagn ImagesThanksgiving Disaster Brings Matt Eberflus’ Tenure as the Bears Head Coach to a Close
The Bears nearly flipped Thanksgiving on its head in Detroit, but Caleb Williams’ second-half fireworks weren’t enough to overcome another frustrating finish — and some questionable clock management — in a 23-20 loss to the Lions.
Chicago fell behind 16-0 at halftime, looking every bit like a team headed for a blowout loss. Detroit’s offense was rolling, with Jared Goff throwing two touchdown passes to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta and the backfield duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs pounding away on the ground. By intermission, the Lions had piled up 194 rushing yards and appeared well on their way to an easy win.
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But then came Williams. The Bears’ rookie quarterback came out firing after the break, connecting with Keenan Allen for touchdown passes of 31 and 9 yards on back-to-back drives. Suddenly, the Bears were right back in the fight. With just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Williams found DJ Moore on a 31-yard strike to cut the Lions’ lead to 23-20, capping a furious rally and setting up one last chance for Chicago to finally pull off a close win.
© Lon Horwedel-Imagn ImagesThat final drive is where things unraveled. After the defense forced a punt, Williams and the Bears took over at their own 1-yard line with 3:31 to play. The rookie calmly marched his team downfield, aided by a gutsy fourth-and-14 heave that drew a 29-yard pass interference call on Kindle Vildor. That flag gave Chicago the ball at the Lions’ 25 with under a minute left. It felt like the Bears had momentum and the game on their terms.
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Instead, the drive stalled. A 12-yard completion to Allen that would’ve set the Bears up at the 13 was wiped out by a hands-to-the-face penalty on Teven Jenkins. On the very next play, Williams was sacked back at the 41. That’s when clock management came into play. Chicago still had one timeout in its pocket, but Matt Eberflus elected not to use it after the sack. Valuable seconds drained away, leaving Williams with just one final shot. His deep ball to rookie Rome Odunze fell incomplete as time expired. Ballgame.
Eberflus defended his team’s fight afterward.
“Offense did a heck of a job in the second half … defense did what it had to do … and then it came down to that last drive,” Eberflus said.
But the decision not to stop the clock after the sack will be second-guessed all week. With more time, Williams likely could’ve gotten off another play or two in striking distance.
Nov 28, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) scrambles out of the pocket against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn ImagesFor Williams, the day still showed plenty of promise. He finished 20 of 39 for 256 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 97.8 passer rating against a Lions defense that came in allowing the lowest passer rating in the league. And even trailing big at halftime, the rookie never wavered. “We knew we were in the fight,” Williams said. “We’ve been in many of those games where we were down and came back … it’s tough doing all of that and then not being able to come out with the win, but it’s definitely encouraging because of the fight that these guys have overall.”
The Bears were outgained 405-301, and their sixth straight loss dropped them to 4-8 after a 4-2 start. For Detroit, the win pushed them to 11-1 and secured their first Thanksgiving victory in eight years.
For Chicago, it was another bitter one-score defeat — their third straight wild finish in NFC North play, and another reminder of how slim the margins were under Matt Eberflus, who was fired the next morning.
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