The Chicago Bears have fired head coach Matt Eberflus, announcing the move a day after another embarrassing defeat extended their losing streak to six games.
Thomas Brown has been elevated to interim head coach.
The Bears’ 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday was final straw for the club’s ownership, which has been historically hesitant to make in-season moves.
Down 23-7 to start the fourth, the Bears rallied to within a field goal with 5:36 remaining. On their next drive, Chicago got within field goal range but were unable to tie the game due to poor time management.
During the Bears’ current six-game skid, they have lost four games by three points or fewer.
“This morning, after meeting with [chairperson] George [H. McCaskey] and [President and CEO] Kevin [Warren], we informed Matt of our decision to move in a different direction with the leadership of our football team and the head-coaching position,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said in a statement.
Warren added: “I support Ryan and the decision that was made this morning. We understand how imperative the head-coaching role is for building and maintaining a championship-caliber team, leading our players and our organization.
“Our fans have stood by us and persevered through every challenge, and they deserve better results. Our organizational and operational structure is strong, focused, aligned and energised for the future.”
The decision may have caught Eberflus by surprise, with the Bears announcing his dismissal mere hours after he told reporters he was “confident” he would remain the club’s head coach.
Eberflus’ sacking is just the latest marker in a season that began with great hope but has continually disappointed.
Brown will receive his second promotion this month. After starting the season as the quarterbacks coach, Brown took over as offensive coordinator when the Bears fired Shane Waldron.
Stuck in the middle of the upheaval has been rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who has produced mostly positive results after being the No. 1 overall pick in April.
Williams has completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 2,612 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.
For a franchise known for defence, Chicago will almost certainly make future coaching decisions centred on Williams’ development.
Lions, Cowboys hold on for wins, Packers defeat Dolphins on Thanksgiving
Jared Goff threw a pair of touchdown passes to Sam LaPorta and Jake Bates kicked three field goals as the Detroit Lions held off the Chicago Bears, 23-20, for their 10th straight victory on Thursday.
The Bears had the ball in Lions territory late in the game with a chance to drive for a game-tying field goal or go-ahead touchdown, but they blew the opportunity.
Caleb Williams threw an incomplete pass as time expired from the Detroit 41 after being sacked with about 30 seconds left, allowing time to run off the clock even though Chicago had one more timeout.
The NFC-leading Lions (11-1) have their best record after 12 games in team history and their 10-game winning streak ties a franchise record with the 1934 squad.
It was the sixth consecutive loss for the Bears, who dropped to 5-17 in games decided by seven or fewer points under coach Matt Eberflus.
Goff's second touchdown pass to LaPorta, a 1-yard toss, gave Detroit a 23-7 lead late in the third quarter. The score was set up by Jameson Williams' 15-yard reverse, which included him hurdling Kevin Byard to gain several extra yards.
Packers start fast in win over Dolphins
Jordan Love threw two touchdown passes to Jayden Reed and the Green Bay Packers used a fast start to beat Miami 30-17 and snap the Dolphins’ three-game winning streak.
Green Bay (9-3) has won three straight and seven of its last eight.
Miami (5-7) continued its recent history of struggling in cold weather. The kickoff temperature at Lambeau Field was 27 degrees (-2.7 Celsius) with 10-mph winds, light flurries and a wind chill of 18.
The Dolphins have lost their past 11 regular-season or postseason games in which the kickoff temperature has been below 40 degrees (4.4 Celsius). The Dolphins’ most recent victory in a game with a kickoff temperature at 40 or lower was a 34-31 overtime triumph at Buffalo on Dec. 24, 2016.
Love was 21 of 28 for 274 yards, while Miami's Tua Tagovailoa went 37 of 46 for 364 yards with two touchdowns, though he also was sacked five times.
Cowboys hold off lowly Giants
DeMarvion Overshown returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown and Rico Dowdle had his first career 100-yard game as the Dallas Cowboys earned their first home win of the season, 27-20 over the New York Giants.
Cooper Rush threw a TD pass, and Dowdle finished with 112 yards and a score to help the Cowboys (5-7) end a six-game home losing streak going back to a wild-card loss to Green Bay last season.
Drew Lock, who started in place of the injured Tommy DeVito a week after the benching and subsequent release of Daniel Jones, lost a fumble following Overshown's pick-6 in a seventh consecutive loss for the Giants (2-10).
Lock ran for 57 yards and a touchdown that ended up being too late to avoid New York's eighth consecutive loss to its NFC East rival.
The Giants had their first lead since Week 5 before Overshown's dynamic play put Dallas back in front for good in the second quarter. The Cowboys led for just 2 minutes, 15 seconds during their six-game skid at AT&T Stadium.
Vikings to sign former Giants quarterback Jones
Daniel Jones will sign with the Minnesota Vikings after the embattled quarterback was recently benched and then released by the New York Giants.
Minnesota has gone 9-2 so far with Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback and Nick Mullens serving as the backup after the team lost rookie first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy to a season-ending knee injury in August.
Jones, the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft, now joins the Vikings’ quarterback room after being benched during New York’s bye in Week 11.
He said he took “full responsibility” for not winning more as the captain of one of the NFL’s signature franchises, but after learning of his new role, Jones asked to be released.
Jones was 24-44-1 as a starter in New York, with his best season coming in 2022. The Giants went 9-7-1 that campaign and won 31-24 at Minnesota in the wild-card round of the play-offs.
He signed a four-year, $160million contract extension before the 2023 season but tore his right ACL in Week 9.
Jones went 2-8 this season as the Giants’ starter and ranks 32nd among 35 qualified quarterbacks with a 79.4 passer rating.
Rodgers says Jets ‘first option’ if he plays in 2025
Aaron Rodgers has yet to decide if he will retire after this season, but if he does play in 2025, he would like to stay with the New York Jets.
Rodgers addressed his future during his regular appearance on the “The Pat McAfee Show,” after rumours had surfaced that he was feuding with the Jets’ front office amid a disappointing season.
“I don't even know if I want to play yet, but New York would be my first option,” Rodgers said of his plans for 2025.
The four-time MVP shot down reports by The Athletic that he hoped to play for another team next season.
“That's 100% false,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers, who turns 41 next week, is having an unimpressive statistical season while the much-hyped Jets have lost seven of their last eight games.
With disappointing results on the field, the Jets fired general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh midway through the season. Rodgers’ future may be determined more by New York’s new leadership than the future Hall of Famer himself.
“When you're 40, going on 41, you're obviously at the end of your career,” he said. “... Obviously, if it's New York, they have to want me to be here. And then the new GM, new staff all have to want me to be with the Jets.
“And then body-wise, I have to see how I'm feeling and if I want to sign up to go back to the grind and all that, but it feels good. I'm healthy now.
“It's not as much fun when you're dealing with rehab all the time. So, if I can stay healthy the rest of the year and play the way I want to play, and everybody feels good about bringing me back, then there's a decision there. And if not, then there's all the other options. I think, at this point, I'm open to everything and attached to nothing. So, it's a good place to be.”
Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich told reporters on Monday that Rodgers is “absolutely” the Jets’ starter for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, denying rumours that New York could bench or release him.
Rodgers, who missed nearly all of last season due to a torn Achilles tendon, said that his two seasons in New York have been “frustrating and difficult” but maintained his positivity about his experience with the Jets.
“These have been two of the most important years of my life and two of the best years of my life,” Rodgers said.
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