George H. McCaskey
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

First & Long: Healthy Franchises Make Healthy Decisions, Williams on Cusp of Greatness, Have a Happy NFL Thanksgiving

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterNovember 27, 2024

I’m not going to dig too deeply into the subject because it’s been covered everywhere, but the Bears need to perform a mercy killing by firing Matt Eberflus if Chicago loses to the Lions on Thursday. Long-winded analysis have a similar effect as tryptophan on our readers, so I’ll offer one simple reason: Healthy franchises make healthy decisions.

Eberflus will not last through the end of his contract so the McCaskeys will have to buy him out anyway. The longer they wait, the more risk they add to the career trajectory of franchise quarterback Caleb Williams. That’s it. The NFL’s founding franchise needs to be wholly invested in Williams instead of trying to save a few bucks by keeping Eberflus. Thomas Brown can coach the Bears on an interim basis, and if he continues the path he and Williams are on, the McCaskeys can give him a new contract.

Brown is already among the favorites to replace Eberflus, but he lacks experience. The Bears could give him that with five games remaining on the schedule after Thursday’s tilt in Detroit. One thing is clear, and that’s that Brown will be a hot commodity once this year’s coaching carousel starts in January. He is almost certain to find a gig elsewhere if the McCaskey’s don’t promote him.

I’ll add a caveat if I may and then you can get back to making your stuffing. Williams likes Brown and they obviously work well together. Do you remember all those errant passes Williams had during the first half of this season? They disappeared when Shane Waldron was fired and Brown took over. To me, this is a no-brainer. The McCaskeys may instead keep Eberflus as yet another way to once again torpedo the franchise, just as it has repeatedly since George McCaskey took over.

Bears News & Notes

There’s a Flag…On the Play

Yes, Eberflus should be replaced if the Bears once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Scout Team

  1. ESPN’s Football Power Index selected the Lions as the overwhelming favorite to win this year’s Super Bowl.
  2. Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery will set a new NFL record if each rushes for a touchdown against the Bears on Thursday.
  3. Detroit waived former breakout pass rusher James Houston. The defensive end tallied 8.0 sacks and 11 quarterback hits in just seven games during his rookie season two years ago.
  4. Lions fans are mildly upset that the team isn’t wearing throwback uniforms on Thursday.
  5. Detroit’s defense has gone 10 consecutive quarters without allowing the opposition to score a touchdown.
  6. The Pride of Detroit podcast hosts called the Bears a “dumpster of misery.”

Film Room

The Bears have a franchise quarterback in Williams, even if you’re too stubborn to admit it.

Northern Exposure

Around the NFL

Fox Sports wants Tom Brady to be a little less analytical in his game commentary.

The NFL is once again giving us two rivalry games on Thanksgiving Day plus the interconference match between the Dolphins and Packers. We also get a Friday afternoon tilt between the Chiefs and Raiders. Ahh, turkey sandwiches, more tryptophan, and lots of football.

Who’s the biggest steal so far of the 2024 NFL Draft? How about Bo Nix for starters? You could also make a great case for Ladd McConkey, Bucky Irving, and Zach Frazier, who should have been a Bear.

Believe it or not, Bill Belichick is in the second tier of NFL coaching targets. Belichick’s protege, Mike Vrabel, has an edge on him.

Aaron Rodgers is facing an undetermined NFL future. The 41-year-old four-time MVP is having the worst season of his career.

Have you ever wondered why the Lions and Cowboys play every Thanksgiving Day? I’ve got you.

Two-Minute Drill

Chicago’s gauntlet of a second-half schedule is now more likely to benefit the other teams in the NFC North. The Bears have two games remaining against the Lions including Thursday’s contest. They’ll play the Packers and Vikings one more time. Detroit and Minnesota are playing for home field advantage while the Packers are hoping to get 10 wins and a higher wildcard seed. Beating the Bears helps each of those teams achieve their remaining regular season goals.

Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust

  1. CeeDee Lamb leads the NFL with 77 receptions. He joins Jarvis Landry as the only two players in NFL history to have at least 70 receptions across their first five seasons.
  2. Amari Cooper has the most passes dropped this season with 11.
  3. Brandon Aubrey is the first kicker in NFL history to make at least ten field goals of 50+ yards in multiple seasons. He is a second-year kicker for the Cowboys.

No Chance of Burning Those Biscuits

Dave Williams led the Bears to a stunning victory in one of the greatest Thanksgiving Day games in the Bears-Lions series.

Happy Turkey Day (Feed the World)

All of us here at Bears Insider hope you and your families enjoy your holiday. Remember that some folks aren’t as fortunate as the rest of us, so please consider a donation to the Chicago Food Depository. Every dollar buys three meals, and thank you for your consideration. It would be nice to feed the world, so let’s start by helping those in our backyard.

Williams Doesn’t Deserve a Float Just Yet…But

He’s getting there.

Bears fans have been wildly weird about their quarterbacks for as long as I’ve been alive. It is always the second-string guy that most fans think deserves to play. It goes back to the first post-Jim McMahon years. The only backup who truly deserved to start since then was probably*  Kyle Orton.

It’s kind of refreshing that most fans can see what Williams is doing and know he’s special. If there’s still a group of doubters, they are small but stubborn and vocal.

You almost have to read social media posts from fans of other teams who see the potential greatness in Williams to get a better idea. The fact of the matter is that some people just don’t like Williams for all kinds of non-football reasons. Too many are still attached to Mitchell Trubisky, Justin Fields, and Tyson Bagent.

There’s a whole world of great quarterbacking right in front of you if you’re just willing to watch No. 18 with an open mind.

From the Podium

  • “I feel like the team that we have right now, we’re built to win right now. I don’t think it’s something where it’s, ‘Okay, we got to come in and get the right guys in the building.’ For the most part, as far as the locker room goes, we have the right guys. We have enough to be able to win right now and to be a playoff team again. We just haven’t put it all together, top to bottom, as far as being able to execute, be put in the right positions, just really all of it.” – Jaylon Johnson
Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterNovember 27, 2024
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