LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) – Bears general manager Ryan Poles returned to Halas Hall on Friday morning knowing well what had to be done.
Poles had scanned the visitors’ locker room at Ford Field last Thursday afternoon after the Bears’ 23-20 loss to the Lions and knew his players had checked out on then-head coach Matt Eberflus. Star cornerback Jaylon Johnson raised his voice as the embattled Eberflus walked away, and veteran receiver Keenan Allen was among those who made comments that underscored the Bears’ woes amid a six-game losing streak.
The Bears were in turmoil, and Poles knew his locker room needed a change.
“Everyone was frustrated,” Poles said. “I saw frustration.”
Eberflus was fired by the Bears late Friday morning. It marked the first time in franchise history that the Bears fired a head coach in the middle of a season. Poles felt the move was necessary after he assessed the “pulse” of the locker room.
Eberflus’ dismissal came after Bears players had pushed for change of sorts at Halas Hall in prior weeks. It wasn’t a direct call to get the head coach fired, but that’s what happened after the Bears had reached their breaking point.
Throughout the season, Bears players had shared their displeasure with the team’s operation on the offensive side of the ball. The criticism began in earnest after the Bears’ 21-16 loss to the Colts on Sept. 22, a game in which then-offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s play-calling and communication style came under fire.
In the aftermath, key veterans on the Bears’ leadership council approached the coaching staff with hopes of reform. The relaxed style of Eberflus and his assistants never sat well with players, who weren’t shy about speaking out.
“That isn’t a good locker room,” one league source cautioned.
Waldron was eventually fired on Nov. 12, two days after an ugly 19-3 loss to the lowly Patriots.
Another major flash point was the Bears’ stunning 18-15 loss to the Commanders on a last-second Hail Mary on Oct. 27, when Eberflus’ scheme conceded 13 free yards to Washington on the penultimate play to set up the deciding touchdown on a heave that barely got to the end zone.
What followed was five more losses, several of them in heartbreaking fashion on the final play of close games. A season that once carried high hopes was lost as the Bears have dropped to 4-8.
To make the most out of what’s left of this spiraling campaign, the Bears have turned to Thomas Brown as their interim head coach. Brown began the season as the Bears’ passing coordinator before becoming the offensive coordinator when Waldron was fired. One of his challenges will be to keep the team together and engaged. Brown led his first team meeting Monday morning, expressing a desire to “unify” his players for the final five games of the regular season.
That message resonated with the Bears, who admire Brown’s direct nature when he addresses them. That approach is a departure from Eberflus’ style.
“Life isn't guaranteed,” Brown said. “This game isn't guaranteed. It's a privilege to be here, so I want us to maximize it every single day in the building. And when we have an opportunity to excel on game day, go cut it loose, man. Play with no fear.”
Brown has adjusted the daily schedule that existed under Eberflus’ watch. He moved pre-practice walk-throughs from the morning – several hours before practice began – to immediately before the team takes the field for practice. The previous schedule had a large time gap between walk-through and practice.
Brown believes the Bears can work more efficiently with this schedule. It’s a concept he took from Rams head coach Sean McVay, under whom he worked in Los Angeles.
Following the firing of Eberflus last Friday and his personal promotion, Brown returned home to Charlotte to spend the weekend with his family for the first time since the start of this season. But he was also busy with work, as he texted with every single player on the Bears’ roster. He also received a phone call from McVay, who has been a key influence along the way.
This is now Brown’s team for the final five games of the season, and he’s eager to put his own stamp on it. Brown believes the Bears are ready to follow his lead.
When Brown stepped in front of the meeting room Monday morning and turned off the music, he noticed the Bears were silent. He had their attention.
“He has a certain demeanor about him,” rookie quarterback Caleb Williams said. “Whether it’s showing up on time and getting on the guys, whether they’re older guys, younger guys and making sure accountability is really important in football teams and businesses and family and all these different things. One of the most important things is accountability.
“He’s a lead-by-example type of guy, and that’s been great.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.