Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus met with reporters Monday and, as expected, was generally optimistic about the current state of his team.
Eberflus referenced several positives from Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, namely the improvement the Bears made from Week 1's loss to the Green Bay Packers. He emphasized that he wants Justin Fields to play with more consistency but stopped short of blaming his third-year quarterback for the woes on offense.
They were the kind of comments you'd expect after just two weeks of regular season action. And, to be honest, they were refreshing. Fans can often get so caught up in the instant reactions on social media -- the doom and gloom of Bears beat reporters who live in the negative -- that we lose sight of how long an NFL season is and how quickly the narrative around any team, including the Chicago Bears, can change.
Consider this: What if the Bears do the unthinkable and upset the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3? It's highly unlikely, but it isn't impossible. And if Fields has a breakout game in a winning effort, the Bears will suddenly be back in the mix as favorites to win the NFC North.
Eberflus is doing his part to stay calm and keep working.
“We are steadfast, we are straightforward, and we are all in this together, as coaches, players,” Eberflus said. “We are looking into Kansas City. That’s what we’re looking at.”
At some point, togetherness and hard work won't be enough. Eberflus is 3-16 as head coach of the Chicago Bears, and his messaging will lose its influence if his system doesn't start producing wins.
But, again, it's a long season. The Detroit Lions were 1-6 after seven games in 2022 and finished the year 9-8. They began the 2023 season as a dark horse in the NFC to go to the Super Bowl.
Will the Chicago Bears have a similar turnaround? It's too early to say. Any success the Bears do have in 2023 will be because of whatever improvement Justin Fields shows over the final 15 games.
All that matters, however, is the next game.
The Bears travel to Kanas City to take on the Chiefs on Sept. 24 at 3:25 pm CST (4:25 pm EST).
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