Bears offense gains momentum, not enough to overcome Vikings. NFL Week 12 Chicago Bears game story & recap.
Written by Eric Mann
Did Matt Eberflus seal his fate? As the defensive mastermind calling all the plays, his defense faltered at the crucial moment.
In Thomas Brown’s second week of calling offensive plays, Caleb Williams looked impressive on Sunday. He hit his targets and made smart decisions, until one costly mistake in overtime. This performance is one of the best we’ve seen from a Chicago quarterback in the past decade, rivaling the highlights of Jay Cutler’s tenure.
Caleb consistently connected with DJ Moore, Chicago’s top wide receiver, who was extended over the summer. When Moore wasn’t available, Caleb turned to Keenan Allen for significant plays. Both Keenan and DJ scored pivotal touchdowns for the Bears on Sunday.
One thing I didn’t like about Brown’s strategy was his early abandonment of the running game. While it’s true that the Vikings have one of the best run defenses in the NFL, you can’t just give up on it. A balanced offensive attack is crucial, especially for a team like Chicago, which is traditionally run-first, pass-second. Brown didn’t use Johnson as much as I would have liked, but he still managed to get some touches and decent gains.
Special teams need a complete overhaul, and it looks like this might be the last season we see Cairo Santos in a Bears uniform. Two blocked field goals in consecutive games are inexcusable, reflecting poorly on both the kicker and the special teams coach.
Returning to the topic of Eberflus sealing his fate, while Cover 2 generally works, a major flaw in his philosophy is the lack of blitzing. You can’t just rush four players and drop back 13-15 yards to keep everything in front of you. This approach often results in giving up massive yardage throughout the game, almost guaranteeing a field goal every time.
Let’s talk about overtime. The offense struggled to gain momentum, and Caleb took a huge sack when the Vikings rushed just three players. He admitted he should have thrown the ball away, but as a rookie, he’s still learning from these situations. After the Bears punted, Minnesota had a long field ahead of them. However, Eberflus’s decision to stick with Cover 2 without blitzing proved costly. The Vikings steadily gained yardage, setting up for a game-winning field goal
That is how Eberflus sealed his fate in Chicago.