The Bears had a chance to take the Lions to overtime on Thanksgiving, but poor clock management from head coach Matt Eberflus meant Chicago ran out of time to take their field goal.
Bears Run Out Of Time
Chicago fans will have had their hearts in their mouths on Thanksgiving this year, as they were denied an improbable comeback against the Lions once again by head coach Matt Eberflus.
Despite being down by 16 at the half the Bears didn’t give up and two quick touchdowns from Keenan Allen had the visitors within ten points in the final quarter.
The Bears finally made the week 13 clash competitive in the final quarter, as Caleb Williams floated a 30-yard pass into the arms of D.J. Moore to bring Chicago to within a field goal.
WHAT A THROW BY CALEB.
We have a one-possession game in Detroit 👀
📺: #CHIvsDET on CBS/Paramount+
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/RH9mY9Nien— NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2024
On defense the Bears held strong and with a quick three and out Matt Eberflus’ team had the ball back, but Detroit’s special teams fielded the punt on the one yard line with just over three minutes left on the clock, leaving Williams a difficult task to get within field goal range to tie the game.
But this year’s number one draft pick continued his impressive second half in the final quarter and he had the Bears well within field goal range as the game approached its conclusion.
On a third and long game management came into play and with one timeout left the Bears looked in control of their destiny, but Eberflus never called a timeout to take the field goal and so as Williams launched a ball downfield the clock expired with Chicago not able to play their fourth and final down.
Eberflus defended his questionable decision making, despite it costing Chicago the game: “I like what we did there. Again, once it’s under 12 [seconds] there, you’re going to call timeout there, you don’t have an option.
MATT EBERFLUS SAID HE HANDLED THE CLOCK PERFECTLY TO END THE GAME.
“I THINK WE HANDLED IT THE RIGHT WAY”
pic.twitter.com/ROAyM5j50Z— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) November 28, 2024
“To me, I think we handled it the right way. I do believe you re-rack the play, get it in-bounds and then call timeout. That’s why we held it and it didn’t work out the way we wanted it to.”
Williams Defends Eberflus Decisions
Despite losing the game, Williams defended his head coach’s decisions late in the day and insisted that the final plays just didn’t quite go their way.
“I ended up changing the play,” Williams explained, “because with the play we had, 13 seconds — any play you have with 13 seconds with no time… Well, we had a timeout, but with that situation, 13 seconds, make a call and try and get it snapped and take a shot.
Caleb Williams falling on the sword for his head coach.
Rookie quarterback showing how to lead and take accountability. pic.twitter.com/4QLx441uFK
— Dave (@dave_bfr) November 28, 2024
Williams’ pass to fellow rookie Rome Odunze sailed just in front of the receiver and was incomplete a matter of split seconds after the clock hit all zeros.
“In that situation we had a call, I got the call in, trying to get the guys back, focused on making sure everyone gets back, gets lined up. I know we don’t have much time left, and so trying to get everybody back. I don’t have a microphone to speak to coach or anything like that, so there wasn’t like any huge communication in that situation.”
The Bears have now gone six games without a win in the NFL but after an impressive comeback on Thursday, the pressure has relaxed slightly on Williams while it piles on head coach Matt Eberflus.
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