The Chicago Bears suffered a tough loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, and many fans are pointing to the Bears’ questionable clock management in the game’s final moments as the key reason for their defeat. Trailing by three points, the Bears were in position to tie the game with a field goal or even score a touchdown to win.
However, with just 36 seconds left on the clock, the team still had one timeout remaining that could have been used to extend the game and improve their chances. Instead, head coach Matt Eberflus chose to let the clock run, ultimately giving the Bears only a single opportunity to make a play on the final down.
After the last-ditch effort fell short and the Bears lost 27-24, Eberflus defended his decision to hold on to the timeout. During a press conference following the game, he explained his reasoning: “We’re at 36 seconds right there, and our hope was, because it was third [down] going into fourth [down], that we would rerack that play at 18 seconds, throw it inbounds, get it in field goal range, and then call a timeout,” Eberflus said on Thursday.
The plan, however, did not unfold as intended. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked, which left Chicago in a dire situation. Despite this setback, Eberflus opted not to use the remaining timeout to stop the clock, leaving the offense in scramble mode.
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Williams managed to rally the team to the line for one final play, a desperate deep throw to the end zone, but the pass fell incomplete as time expired, sealing the Bears’ fate.
“I like what we did there,” Eberflus said, doubling down on his decision even in the face of widespread criticism. “I think we handled it the right way. I do believe that you just rerack the play, get it in bounds, and call a timeout, and that’s why we held it. It just didn’t work out the way we wanted it to.”
Eberflus’ decision left many Bears players and fans frustrated, as it seemed like a missed opportunity to stop the clock and regroup for a more strategic attempt. Tight end Cole Kmet expressed his confusion after the game, describing the chaotic sequence: “The sack happens. By the time I turned around, Caleb was pretty much on the ground,” Kmet said.
“We just got to find a way to not take a sack there, and unfortunately the clock keeps running. I’m sure the thought process was then to be able to get some yardage and then take the timeout and kick the field goal. But we were just a little too late on that.”
Veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen also seemed to weigh in on the controversy, making a pointed comment: “I feel like we did enough as players to win the game,” Allen said, which many took as a critique of Eberflus’ decision to hold onto the timeout instead of using it at a critical moment.
The loss was a tough pill to swallow for the Bears, who have now dropped six games in a row and sit at 4-8 for the season. Their hopes for a playoff berth are fading quickly, and the criticism surrounding Eberflus’ game management is only adding to the pressure on the embattled head coach.
The Bears will look to end their losing streak next week as they hit the road to face the formidable San Francisco 49ers. With the season slipping away, Eberflus and his team will need to regroup and find a way to finish games more effectively if they hope to salvage what remains of their campaign.
