Bears 8.0: Matt Eberflus FIRED

[NZB2323]

I disagree with that. While Caleb is a rookie, this isn't his first time playing QB in a close game. I don't know what happened, but it simply took too long to run the next play after the sack. In hindsight he should have taken a TO (because we know how it ended), but I actually agree with Flu's strategy on this one.

On 2nd and 26, the ball was snapped at the 36 second mark.
CW got sacked at the 33-32 second mark.

On 3rd and 26, you are probably not going to get a 1st down. You want to save that time-out so that a pass can be completed anywhere on the field (most likely in the middle of the field), and you are not to running the FG team out there with the clock winding down (being that you can't spike it on 4th down).

When you go back and look at the clip for that final play, the ball should have been snapped at the 12 second mark, not the 6 second mark. I'm not sure if that delay is on CW or TB or what. But at that point, the team was already committed to saving the TO. That wasted 6 seconds was the difference in clock management IMO.

Then the coach with a microphone that goes into Caleb’s helmet should have communicated that to him.

Maybe he did?

Also, I think that coach with a mic would have been TB, not Flus.

I'm not trying to defend Flus from getting fired. He has done plenty wrong to warrant this, but that last sequence was a mess far beyond bad clock management by Flus. He is just the easiest target to dump on for what he had done in the past.

I guess you could blame the 3rd OC that Flus has had, but the Bears have already blamed 2 OC of Flus.

[panthermark]

Of course it’s predictable. These scenarios are their job to imagine and have plans for. Or at least be able to call a timeout to get a grasp on.


When? How about right after the sack? Any time that things looked out of control. Immediately I’d say. Any time. I really don’t understand your argument. Is this the argument that with over 30 seconds left it’s too late to call a timeout at any point? What? I didn’t say anything that a litany of NFL coaches and NFL people aren’t saying. Disagreement with Cower and Jimmy Johnson is fair, but I’m going with them dice.

Missing an open play on 1st and 10 from the 25, followed by getting a penalty, then getting sacked on 2nd down that effectively takes you out of FG range isn't predictable. But it sounds like they had a plan anyway.

Hurry back to the LOS on 3rd down, quick completion to pick up a few yards to get back in FG range. Call TO and kick FG on 4th down.

[fleet]

Over thirty seconds left down 3 in long FG range on 3rd down with a TO left is as predictable as it gets.. At least definitely a situation that coaches have seen many times in their careers.

[panthermark]

Over thirty seconds left down 3 in long FG range on 3rd down with a TO left is as predictable as it gets

Wait, you wanted to call a TO to kick a 58 yard FG on 3rd down with over 30 seconds left?

[fleet]

Over thirty seconds left down 3 in long FG range on 3rd down with a TO left is as predictable as it gets

Wait, you wanted to call a TO to kick a 58 yard FG on 3rd down with over 30 seconds left?

I wanted to do anything but what Flus did, which was to stand around looking confused while the theme from the Wizard of Oz was playing in his head.

[NZB2323]

Over thirty seconds left down 3 in long FG range on 3rd down with a TO left is as predictable as it gets

Wait, you wanted to call a TO to kick a 58 yard FG on 3rd down with over 30 seconds left?

You call TO to go over the game plan with your team, including your rookie QB who just got smashed. You can still do a short pass out of bounds to kick a FG or tell the team if it’s completed in bounds to hurry up and spike the ball.

[fleet]

Over thirty seconds left down 3 in long FG range on 3rd down with a TO left is as predictable as it gets

Wait, you wanted to call a TO to kick a 58 yard FG on 3rd down with over 30 seconds left?

You call TO to go over the game plan with your team, including your rookie QB who just got smashed. You can still do a short pass out of bounds to kick a FG or tell the team if it’s completed in bounds to hurry up and spike the ball.

This is harder than I thought

[MissileMike]

Bears should try to get Kirby Smart... He definitely won't get cheated out of time outs.

[panthermark]

Over thirty seconds left down 3 in long FG range on 3rd down with a TO left is as predictable as it gets

Wait, you wanted to call a TO to kick a 58 yard FG on 3rd down with over 30 seconds left?

I wanted to do anything but what Flus did, which was to stand around looking confused while the theme from the Wizard of Oz was playing in his head.

What I wanted, was for the offense to hurry up (and not need our center to tell our QB to speed things up) and snap the ball at around 11 seconds or so to pick up some easy yards instead of doing whatever they were doing, snapping it at 6 seconds and throwing it deep which basically wasted a down, wasted a time-out, and ended the game.

[panthermark]

Wait, you wanted to call a TO to kick a 58 yard FG on 3rd down with over 30 seconds left?

You call TO to go over the game plan with your team, including your rookie QB who just got smashed. You can still do a short pass out of bounds to kick a FG or tell the team if it’s completed in bounds to hurry up and spike the ball.

This is harder than I thought

Yes, this is harder than you thought.

You CAN'T spike the ball. I already told you this.
You complete a short pass and spike the ball, you will get laughed out of the league.

Why?
Because it was 3rd and 26.
Are you going to spike the ball on 4th down?

[NZB2323]

You call TO to go over the game plan with your team, including your rookie QB who just got smashed. You can still do a short pass out of bounds to kick a FG or tell the team if it’s completed in bounds to hurry up and spike the ball.

This is harder than I thought

Yes, this is harder than you thought.

You CAN'T spike the ball. I already told you this.
You complete a short pass and spike the ball, you will get laughed out of the league.

Why?
Because it was 3rd and 26.
Are you going to spike the ball on 4th down?

Oh yeah, that’s right.

But isn’t that enough time to get your field goal unit onto the field?

[fleet]

You call TO to go over the game plan with your team, including your rookie QB who just got smashed. You can still do a short pass out of bounds to kick a FG or tell the team if it’s completed in bounds to hurry up and spike the ball.

This is harder than I thought

Yes, this is harder than you thought.

You CAN'T spike the ball. I already told you this.
You complete a short pass and spike the ball, you will get laughed out of the league.

Why?
Because it was 3rd and 26.
Are you going to spike the ball on 4th down?

there was nothing to do but to have your quarterback not get the play in until 12 seconds left, confused as to what to do at the line of scrimmage, and decide to let time expire taking a shot at the end zone

[fleet]

Wait, you wanted to call a TO to kick a 58 yard FG on 3rd down with over 30 seconds left?

I wanted to do anything but what Flus did, which was to stand around looking confused while the theme from the Wizard of Oz was playing in his head.

What I wanted, was for the offense to hurry up (and not need our center to tell our QB to speed things up) and snap the ball at around 11 seconds or so to pick up some easy yards instead of doing whatever they were doing, snapping it at 6 seconds and throwing it deep which basically wasted a down, wasted a time-out, and ended the game.

I don’t blame you. Apparently that wasn’t happening, and the coach was multi-tasking with show tunes in his head too distracted to intervene, or have a calm conversation to make a sideline plan with his rookie

[panthermark]

This is harder than I thought

Yes, this is harder than you thought.

You CAN'T spike the ball. I already told you this.
You complete a short pass and spike the ball, you will get laughed out of the league.

Why?
Because it was 3rd and 26.
Are you going to spike the ball on 4th down?

Oh yeah, that’s right.

But isn’t that enough time to get your field goal unit onto the field?

That is the big question. If there is a completion, the clock won't stop.

So it is either hurry up offense and call TO to kick a FG without rushing, or call TO, run a play and then hurry-up FG unit with time running down.

[fleet]

So, Flus was wrongfully fired. Good job coach. And the entire NFL media complex world owes Flus an apology

[Howling Mad]

The best analysis I heard was from a former head coach and one of the best. A guy that is normally soft spoken, Bill Cowher.

He liked that drive and thought the momentum was in the Bears' favor so he had no issues with going for the win. BUT as soon as Caleb was sacked he would've switched it up and went for the tie and not for the win, stating firmly he would've called a time out immediately to relay that to his personnel while also giving him time to queue up the FG squad.

"I think this is two times that Matt Eberflus has froze at the end of this game. With 30 seconds left, you call a timeout, you have a third-and-26, all you can do is run another play and then you get in field goal range and you have plenty of time to run your field goal unit out there, to kick a field goal and go into overtime."

[panthermark]

This is harder than I thought

Yes, this is harder than you thought.

You CAN'T spike the ball. I already told you this.
You complete a short pass and spike the ball, you will get laughed out of the league.

Why?
Because it was 3rd and 26.
Are you going to spike the ball on 4th down?

there was nothing to do but to have your quarterback not get the play in until 12 seconds left, confused as to what to do at the line of scrimmage, and decide to let time expire taking a shot at the end zone

Why didn't the QB get the play in until 12 seconds? Ball should have been snapped by 12 seconds.
I'm really curious.
Did the OC not tell him the play?
Based on Flus, they had a play they liked and wanted the ball snapped at 18 seconds.
But even at 12 seconds they would have been OK since they had a time-out left.

BTW, you still never said your plan at 15 seconds. If Flus sees something is wrong and calls his final TO, what is next?
You are going to get flamed for burning 17 seconds of clock before calling a TO...but when you do call it, what is next? All you can run is an out route and an endzone play because a completion inbounds ends the game. It is why protecting that last TO was so important....it allowed you to complete a pass anywhere on the field and still be able to get the FG unit out there.

[panthermark]

So, Flus was wrongfully fired. Good job coach. And the entire NFL media complex world owes Flus an apology

Who said that?

I'll wait.....

[fleet]

So, Flus was wrongfully fired. Good job coach. And the entire NFL media complex world owes Flus an apology

Who said that?

I'll wait.....

I mean, you are. What exactly is your end point if you aren’t?

[panthermark]

So, Flus was wrongfully fired. Good job coach. And the entire NFL media complex world owes Flus an apology

Who said that?

I'll wait.....

I mean, you are.

Quote please...

Because I'm pretty sure I've said multiple times Flus now and over the past few weeks that Flus needed to go.

All I'm saying is that it is easy to point the finger at Flus and his historically poor time management, but for this last series, the offense actually crapped the bad on those last few plays.