Same Excuses, Different Team: Matt Eberflus Dodged Accountability Again
Matt Eberflus was fired by the Chicago Bears for multiple reasons. His inability to build a competent coaching staff was one. The lack of knowledge on how to develop a young quarterback was another. However, most agree that what finally did him in was his constant inability to accept blame for things going wrong. Most agree the Hail Mary fiasco in Washington was where it started. He failed to accept his soft coverage call, which gave the Commanders a free 13 yards, was a mistake. Then it was his refusal to admit that he should’ve used a timeout on the final play, when it was clear guys weren’t lined up properly.
Try to act shocked that Eberflus is up to the same tricks with his new team. The Dallas Cowboys hired him as their defensive coordinator this past offseason. His unit ultimately finished 32nd in points allowed, wasting one of Dak Prescott’s best seasons at quarterback. When asked why things went so wrong for his unit, Eberflus couldn’t resist ducking blame by stating it was mostly the decision to trade All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons. Never mind the fact that the Cowboys drafted promising rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku, then traded for All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
It still didn’t get better.
Matt Eberflus continues to prove how tone-deaf he really is.
The guy is so only school that he even embodies the mentality of a head coach who has little care for what his players think. He expects them to do what he says because it will work. If something goes wrong, that is because they didn’t do what he told them. There is no concept in his mind that he might be wrong. He may have gotten away with that in the 1960s or 1970s, but that won’t work in today’s era, where players are far more outspoken and less willing to shoulder the blame for their coaches’ shortcomings.
There is a very real chance Matt Eberflus is staring down the end of his NFL coaching career. It is hard to imagine anybody hiring him after what has happened the past two seasons. He may have to return to college. It would be pure karmic justice for Bears fans after listening to his soulless droning for so long. To think we went from that to Ben Johnson remains incredible to think about.