Coach Matt Eberflus and his staff are taking their lumps after the Bears’ disappointing performance in a 21-16 loss to the Colts on Sunday. And Eberflus was accountable for his role in it.
Eberflus acknowledged “we didn’t get the look we wanted” on offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s ill-fated option play on fourth-and-goal from the Colts’ 1-yard line in the second quarter. Running back D’Andre Swift lost 12 yards.
Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams could have changed the play at the line of scrimmage or called timeout but did neither.
“If you don’t like it, you can alert to something else,” Eberflus said. “Talking to Caleb, he just didn’t feel he had the time to do that. They broke the huddle at 10 [seconds on the play clock] and worked it down and maybe snapped it at five. That’s just what it was. We didn’t get the look we wanted.”
But the coaching staff was culpable for the play that set up fourth down. Running back Khalil Herbert was stopped for no gain on third-and-goal at the 1 after 6-3, 267-pound Colts defensive end Tyquan Lewis obliterated 5-8, 190-pound Bears wide receiver DeAndre Carter. That matchup was a mistake.
“Absolutely,” Eberflus said. “In fact, Shane and I watched the tape at 6:30 [Monday] morning, and we talked that through.
That’s got to be a better call and a better matchup there.”
The coaching staff also took the blame for having to call a timeout to clear up confusion about a two-point conversion after Williams’ one-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rome Odunze cut the Colts’ lead to 14-9 with 8:21 left in the game.
“That was just not good,” Eberflus said. “We need to be better there as coaches, communicating across the board . . . that we are going for two because we’re down five. Obviously, that’s the No. 1 thing you do.
“When I saw it wasn’t [clear], I called a timeout to make sure we got the guys ready and got them alerted and got the best play we had for that situation. That’s got to be better. We’ve been great at that. We just have to be better in that moment.”
Kupp no concern this week
Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday that injured wide receiver Cooper Kupp (ankle) will not play against the Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field. The Rams also are without wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is on injured reserve (knee).
For the Bears, Eberflus said cornerback Terrell Smith (hip) was “the only significant injury” from Sunday’s game.
The takeaway that was taken away
The Bears’ defense lost a takeaway in the first quarter when Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson’s fumble, caught by defensive tackle Andrew Billings, was nullified by officials ruling that Richardson’s forward progress was stopped as defensive end Montez Sweat was sacking him.
“[They] were telling me the forward progress stopped and they blew the whistle and it was already done . . . and you can’t challenge that,” Eberflus said. “If that was challengeable, we would’ve done it. But unfortunately, it wasn’t. But it was a really good play. We’re excited about the rush on that play.”
Pushed around
Colts running back Trey Sermon scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter when Richardson and the Colts’ offense pushed him and the Bears’ defense into the end zone.
“I thought they called it dead because I thought his forward progress stopped,” Bears safety Kevin Byard said. “I feel I got a good hit on him, stood him up. Maybe I could just go and pick up his legs or something and stop him completely.”
It’s a tough situation but never a good look for the defense.
“It’s frustrating,” Byard said. “But we can’t let them get all the way down there to get in that situation.”