When the Chicago Bears lost on October 1, the conversation about Matt Eberflus as the head coach for 2024 was not happening. The talk was whether he would last until Halloween.
The Bears Bounce Back
The Bears are proud of the fact that they did not fire any coaches during the season. This is likely to significantly change the team’s future. Eberflus is a rare case of a coach who sheds the pressures of coaching.
The Bears, who lost four games on October 1 and were in twelfth place at the beginning of November, won five of seven games and are considered one of the best teams in the National Football League as the regular season draws to a close. The Bears easily defeated the Atlanta Falcons, who were still competing for the NFC South title, 37-17 on Sunday. Chicago amassed over 400 yards on offense, and the final score was rarely in doubt. In the process, Eberflus continued to achieve unexpected success.
Rough Start for Eberflus
Things looked bleak for Eberflus at the beginning of this season. When the Bears were 2-7, his career record stood at 5-21. The start of the season was a nightmare. Chicago lost 38-20 to their long-time rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in the opening game. In the second game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Bears, and Tampa Bay’s defenders said they knew what play was coming in an interception that ended the game. This was not a good look for the Chicago coaching staff.
Things continued to spiral downward. On September 20, three days after the loss to Tampa Bay, quarterback Justin Fields said he was playing robotically and overthinking on the field, and when asked why, he said it could be “coaching.” On the same day, Bears defensive coordinator, Alan Williams, resigned under unusual circumstances.
Eberflus seemed to be in a bind after week three, when the Bears were trailing the Kansas City Chiefs 34-0 at halftime. They allowed 27 points without scoring in the second quarter and lost the game 41-10. The following week, the Bears fell to 0-4 after a loss to the Denver Broncos, who at that time had yet to win, with a questionable decision by Eberflus to go for it on fourth down in the final quarter instead of attempting a field goal to stay in the game.
After all that, it seemed Eberflus had no chance to make it to a third season. But then things changed.
Team Improvement
Fields began to make more plays. The defense looked completely different. If a coach is to be judged by the improvement of his team, Eberflus has passed that test. The Bears are better now, and they have been for most of the second half of the season. A report surfaced last week from national NFL media stating that Eberflus is expected to return in 2024. This was not surprising. Sunday’s win helped his case for returning if there was any doubt about it.
Bright Future for the Bears
The holiday season is shaping up well for the Bears. The Carolina Panthers lost again, and the Arizona Cardinals won, confirming the Bears’ qualification for the first pick in the NFL Draft. They can choose either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye and trade Fields for some picks or trade the pick for what could be a record-setting lineup. It’s a good place to be. Chicago also has a lot of salary cap space for the second straight season.
What
If it’s good for Eberflus to return as coach, there could be controversy. Not that any Bears fans wanted him back two months ago. But the Bears are entering the holiday season with significant momentum after a strong finish. It seems they will bring back their head coach to see if he can continue to maintain the good vibes next season.
Winners and Losers in Week 17 of the NFL Season
Mason Rudolph
When Rudolph got the green quarterback job for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it seemed like it might last for a week. Or two if Kenny Pickett was slow to recover.
Rudolph held onto the starting job this week even when it appeared Pickett had recovered enough, and there’s no reason to go back now. Rudolph might even end up starting a playoff game.
The Steelers are still alive in the wild card race after a 30-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Rudolph was good again, throwing for 274 yards. He took some risks with deep passes, which opened the door for George Pickens in particular. Pickens had 131 yards in the win.
The Steelers’ offense had been bad for most of the season. It wasn’t too bad with Rudolph as the green quarterback. The question of what that means for the Steelers after this season ends is a conversation for later.
Brock Purdy’s Resurgence
Purdy had a tough outing in a big spot against the Ravens, but he reminded everyone on Sunday that he’s having an outstanding season overall.
Purdy was excellent, with several big throws, in the San Francisco 49ers’ 27-10 victory over the Washington Commanders. Purdy set a team record for passing yards in a single season, previously held by Jeff Garcia. He threw for 230 yards and had a passer rating of 124.7 on Sunday.
The 49ers are doing well, despite a surprising big loss to the Ravens last week. Purdy is doing fine too.
C.J. Stroud and Offensive Rookie of the Year
Stroud was the frontrunner for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, but when he missed two weeks due to a concussion, he lost some ground in the race against Rams’ Puka Nacua.
The race should be over now. Stroud returned and got back on track in a decisive 26-3 win over the Tennessee Titans. He threw for 213 yards and one touchdown with a passer rating of 102.7. This is the kind of performance he has delivered all season.
The Texans are still alive in the race for the NFC South title or a wild card spot after Week 18. Stroud is the biggest reason for that, and he is about to receive a nice reward for his efforts.
C.J. Beathard
The Jacksonville Jaguars were smart to sit Trevor Lawrence. He has a tear in his right shoulder joint, along with other injuries he has played through this season. But Jacksonville cannot afford a loss due to the three-way tie at the top of the AFC South.
The Jaguars stole a win on Sunday. They defeated the Carolina Panthers 26-0 with Beathard stepping in admirably for Lawrence at quarterback. Beathard threw for 178 yards and did not throw any interceptions, which is all the Jaguars needed. The defense shut down the bad Panthers team, and the offense did enough to ensure the game wouldn’t be close. Jacksonville ends the season with a chance to win the division title against the Titans in Week 18. Lawrence may be available to them by then.
DivisionAmerican South
The Jaguars, Texans, and Indianapolis Colts all won on Sunday, making the final week in the division extremely exciting.
The Colts won 23-20 against the Las Vegas Raiders to keep their playoff hopes alive. The game wasn’t pretty throughout, but there hasn’t been much beauty in the Colts’ season anyway. They remain 9-7 and will face the Texans in week 18. That could be a wildcard playoff game or for the division win if the Jaguars lose to the Titans.
The AFC South was supposed to be one of the worst divisions in the NFL. Thanks to surprising seasons from the Colts and Texans, three teams from the division are still alive in the final week.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams had a tough game on Sunday against the New York Giants. The Giants were more competitive with Tyrod Taylor as quarterback, and he had over 300 yards on Sunday. The Rams made mistakes to keep the Giants in the game, but they still managed to win.
The Rams were perhaps lucky that the Giants had kicking issues. They had to sign Mason Crosby, the former Packers kicker who hadn’t signed a contract all season, and asked him to kick on Sunday. Crosby missed a 54-yard field goal in the final minute, and the Rams won 26-25. The Rams also got lucky when Taylor missed throwing to a wide-open Saquon Barkley on a 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
The Rams don’t care how they get their wins. They had a chance to clinch their playoff spot in week 17 with a win and a Seahawks loss or a tie between the Packers and Vikings. They did their part, and then the Seahawks lost to the Steelers in the late games. It wasn’t easy, but the Rams are on their way to the playoffs.
Losers
Anyone other than Lamar Jackson in the MVP race
Josh Allen might have a slight chance to steal the MVP award after a huge week (if Buffalo wins next week, they clinch the AFC East), but Jackson may have sealed the deal on Sunday.
Jackson had a big game and continued to dominate, defeating the Miami Dolphins 56-19 to secure first place in the AFC. The green quarterback completed 12 of 14 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, achieving a perfect passer rating of 158.3. He kept performing in the second half and finished the game with 321 yards, five touchdowns, and a passer rating of 158.3. This performance should finalize the MVP race for him.
Jackson is having an incredible season. He’s starting to get a lot of buzz for MVP after winning in week 16 against the 49ers. The buzz isn’t going to slow down after another impressive win for Jackson against a very good opponent. They look like contenders for the Super Bowl after defeating the Dolphins, and Jackson is on the verge of winning the MVP award for the second time.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are in decline at the end of the season.
Unless something changes, Philadelphia cannot be considered a serious contender for the championship, and there isn’t much time to fix everything that needs fixing. They lost 35-31 to an Arizona Cardinals team that was 3-12 at the start, with James Conner scoring the winning touchdown in the final moments. This gives the Dallas Cowboys a chance to win the NFC East next week (and makes the officiating controversy in Dallas on Saturday even bigger).
The defense has been a problem for Philadelphia all season and couldn’t get the stops they needed in the closing minutes on Sunday. Giving up 35 points to the Cardinals at home is a very bad look. This wasn’t a fluke loss; the defense was absolutely terrible. They allowed a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first half and were already losing.
They have had
They lost four out of five games and lost any chance of taking first place in the National Football League, which went to the San Francisco 49ers. The recent defeat should raise some alarms in Philadelphia, and it opened the door for Dallas to steal the division.
Kansas City Chiefs Offense, Even in Victory
Harrison Butker was busy on Sunday. That’s not good for the Chiefs.
The good news is the Chiefs won 25-17 against the Cincinnati Bengals thanks to six field goals made by Butker. But the Chiefs’ offense does not look right. Frustration was evident when Marquez Valdes-Scantling dropped a pass over the middle when he was wide open, and the Chiefs fans booed loudly.
The Chiefs moved the ball well enough to set up six field goals made by Butker, and maybe that’s a positive. But for a team with Patrick Mahomes as quarterback, this game felt stuck in neutral. The Chiefs scored only one touchdown at home. It’s hard to dismiss a team with Mahomes at quarterback from making the playoffs, but the offense hasn’t looked the same all season long.
Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mayfield and the Tampa Bay team were on a hot streak. But nothing lasts long in the NFL this season.
Mayfield and the Tampa Bay team had a surprisingly bad showing in a 23-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints, preventing them from clinching the NFC South. The Saints led 20-0 before the Bucs scored in the fourth quarter. Mayfield struggled early in the game but managed to pad his stats in the closing moments, finishing with 309 yards. He wasn’t effective when it mattered.
The season ends with a win for the Tampa Bay team over the Carolina Panthers, and they should be able to confirm their division victory by that point. However, the loss on Sunday dampens the momentum of their late-season surge.
Bill O’Brien
O’Brien was supposed to help fix the New England Patriots’ offense. Instead, he has a lot of players who seem like they should change positions.
O’Brien doesn’t have much talent to work with, and he’s limited by a very tough situation at quarterback, but the team’s offensive coordinator isn’t helping much. The Patriots had four turnovers in the first 18 minutes of Sunday’s game, and their offense looked bad overall in a 27-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Bills’ win, along with the Dolphins’ loss, means that Buffalo will face Miami in week 18 for the AFC East title.
The Patriots have a lot of work to do in the offseason and many questions to answer, including with the coaching staff. The only good news is that Patriots fans only have to watch this offense for one more game.
Chargers Without Justin Herbert
Herbert’s value has never seemed more apparent than in the last few weeks, when Easton Stick was the quarterback.
The Chargers struggled all day moving the ball against the Denver Broncos and lost 16-9. The Chargers didn’t score a touchdown, settling for three field goals. It’s been a disappointing season for the Chargers, and it will end poorly.
The Chargers need to answer a lot of questions in this offseason. Getting their starting quarterback back from injury would be a good first step.
Source: https://www.aol.com/nfl-winners-losers-bears-win-211639982.html
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