Why Multiple Experts Are Losing Their S**t Over Matt Eberflus’ Defense
For a good calendar year from September 2022 through September 2023, the Chicago Bears defense was a joke. In that span, they allowed 27 or more points 14 times. This was a big reason why head coach Matt Eberflus decided to take over play-calling responsibilities from embattled former defensive coordinator Alan Williams. Things mercifully began improving after that. Since taking over that job, it has only happened three times. In fact, the Bears defense hasn’t allowed more than 21 points in a game since November 19th of last season.
However, that isn’t what has impressed many experts around the league. After Chicago’s big win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, Steve Wyche of NFL Network alluded to this. He and colleague Bucky Brooks have marveled at how good this unit has become at forcing turnovers.
With Williams in control, the Bears defense forced 25 takeaways in 20 games. Since Eberflus took over, they have 41. His ability to teach and demand players to focus on this goal has yielded incredible results. It has also helped spark the offense, giving them extra opportunities to find a rhythm.
Matt Eberflus brought back something Chicago missed.
While Lovie Smith was never a perfect head coach, nobody can argue that he fostered a thriving culture in Chicago. He was also ahead of his time. Until he came around, defenses had never made forcing takeaways a central focus of their entire identity. That changed when he arrived. With the NFL constantly shifting rules in favor of the offenses, he understood that shutting opponents down like it decades past was no longer feasible. The best way for defenses to impact games in the future was by forcing turnovers.
He wasn’t wrong. Under his guidance, the Bears defense had at least 3 takeaways in 51 games. Smith was 42-9 in those contests. The Bears are currently 7-4 under Matt Eberflus when this is the case. It is clear emphasizing turnovers is a proven way to maximize your odds of winning. That is especially true if you can pair such a defense with an offense that can actually score points. Eberflus is 9-2 when his team scores at least 24 points in a game over the past two seasons. The formula is working.