Matt Eberflus is a competitor. He wants to win. It’s shown in his mindset since high school as a linebacker. Teammates were often surprised at how serious he was. So it’s no surprise that he sees competition as a healthy thing. It can make people better at what they do. Not just the Chicago Bears players, but their coaches too. While Eberflus’ end goal is to make this organization a success, he seems to think that a friendly tension between the wizards isn’t a bad thing.
Barely months into his Halas Hall stint, the head coach has found some creative ways to keep his new coordinators Luke Getsy and Alan Williams on their toes. He revealed one of them to the Bears media during his press conference on Thursday. The question that was asked was if he was looking forward to the draft and if he was one of those “standing on a table” guys for certain prospects. Eberflus smiled and said this instead.
Aside from being a funny prank, it’s clear what such a tactic is supposed to achieve.
Eberflus wants his assistant coaches to take player acquisition seriously. He wants them to be involved in the evaluation process and constantly work to improve their units. If that means making passionate arguments for certain talents, then do it. By making it seem like the guy on the other side of the ball is actively working against the other, all the better. Getsy and Williams will battle it out in practice every day for the weeks, months, and maybe years to come.
The quickest way to help each other get off the ground is to secure the best possible talent. Creating an arms race between the two should only aid Ryan Poles and his scouting department in their efforts to improve the roster. At the same time, Eberflus is helping to prepare both men for the event that they also become head coaches. In such a case, they want to have a firm grip on the design process.
Matt Eberflus wants to do the same with his players.
Playing offense against defense is nothing new for NFL teams. It’s a natural by-product of the game. The trick for Eberflus is to nurture the environment without letting things get out of control. If any bad feelings or resentment develop between the two sides, it can lead to counterproductive results for the team. That’s how it ended up happening for Matt Nagy.
The big challenge for Matt Eberflus is solving the mystery of the Bears offense. This unit has routinely underachieved for the past 30 years or more. They might have had two really good seasons in that time, in 1995 and 2013. No team wins championships with that kind of ineptitude.
As a defensive type, Eberflus faces a lot of skepticism.
That’s not what bothers him. He knew the job would be stressful. He welcomes it. He feels he has a plan and is working to execute it. Getsy and Williams are there to help him. His goal is to make sure they do their job to the best of their ability. If that means creating some friendly debate drafts on the side, so much the better.
Post Views: 1,005