In the midst of a franchise-worst 14 game losing streak, coach Matt Eberflus knows the pressure surrounding him as the Bears prepare to play the Commanders on Thursday night.
“I’ve been doing this 32 years, so I understand the business,” he said after Wednesday’s practice. “But I understand that to do it right you got to focus on your job, and you got to focus on right here, right now. So, you can think about a lot of different things that’s going to do nobody good. You can focus on your job and where your feet are right now. Our sole focus is on Washington.”
Eberflus is 3-18 as a head coach, the worst mark in Bears history. After gutting their roster last year, the Bears were expected to be competitive this season. Instead, they’re one of two winless teams. Eberflus’ decision to go for it on fourth-and-inches Sunday rather than kick a field goal failed, and the Bears fell short of their first win since Oct. 24.
The McCaskey family has never fired a coach midseason. Doing so this season would be complicated, given the Bears don’t have a defensive coordinator and their offensive coordinator has posted one good game all season.
Eberflus said that the Bears were still in the process of bringing “a bunch of new guys” together. That’s worthy of a healthy dose of side-eye, given the team has already played four games after a full offseason program, training camp and preseason games. He claimed the Bears “took a big step in the right direction last week” and have “got to take another big step this week.”
Asked if he’s received assurances from Bears brass that they agree with his assertion of progress, Eberflus said he felt supported.
“I haven’t talked to anybody about any of those things,” he said. “I feel the support and we’re just focused on Washington.”
Eberflus said the slump has made the Bears more focused and more determined.
“That’s all I know,” he said. “That’s all you can do. You can do it one practice at a time, one rep at a time, and it’ll crack. That’s in our preparation. That’s in our focus. And that’s in our determination.”