Chicago Bears fire coach after Thanksgiving timeout mistake

On Friday morning, Matt Eberflus told reporters at a press conference that he is confident in coaching the Chicago Bears in their next NFL game.

He didn’t make it until noon.

The Bears announced they had fired Eberflus following a 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday that involved a much-criticized timing decision by the coach.

Lions defensive end Za’Darius Smith, a Greenville High School graduate, sacked Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams on the second-down snap with 33 seconds left in the game. As the clock ticked down and the Bears reached Detroit’s 41-yard line, Chicago continued without using its final timeout, snatching the football with six seconds left and using up that time for a long incompletion.

After the game, Eberflus said he hoped to get a final finish and use the timeout to get the field goal unit on the field.

The Bears’ sixth straight loss left Chicago with a record of 4-8 with five games remaining in the regular season.

“After meeting with (Chairman) George (McCaskey) and (President and CEO) Kevin (Warren), we informed Matt this morning of our decision to move in a different direction with the leadership of our football team and the head coaching position,” Ryan said Poles, general manager of the Bears, in a statement released by the team. “I would like to thank Matt for his hard work, professionalism and commitment to our organization. We thank him for his commitment to the Chicago Bears and wish him and his family all the best for the future.”

The Bears announced that Thomas Brown would serve as interim coach. Brown began the season as Chicago’s passing game coordinator. Brown took over the game when the Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on November 12th.