LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — Bears head coach Matt Eberflus knows well the pressure that he’s facing in the final five weeks of the regular season.
The Bears are a 4-8 football team that has begun to showcase progress, only slower than had hoped, and Eberflus is an embattled head coach whose 7-22 record in his Chicago tenure gives him the lowest winning percentage (.241) in franchise history. Beyond that, the Bears have endured off-field distractions this season as a pair of assistant coaches abruptly departed their positions due to inappropriate workplace behavior.
Five games now remain for Eberflus to prove his Bears are moving in the right direction or else change seems inevitable. For Eberflus, it means his job is on the line.
"What you can focus on is leadership,” Eberflus said Monday when pressed on his job security. “And the first role of leadership is leading yourself.
“True leadership comes from within. I think that's really what you focus on, and that's put your best foot forward every single day."
After their 0-4 start to this season, the Bears were 3-18 under Eberflus' direction. Since then, Chicago has split its last eight games, including earning a 12-10 victory at Minnesota last week.
The Bears returned to Halas Hall on Monday following their bye week and began preparations to host the Lions (9-3) this Sunday at Soldier Field. Veteran leaders have set winning out as a goal, believing they can get to 9-8 and perhaps put themselves in the playoff mix. While that’s a long shot, that type of mindset is a reflection of how Eberflus has kept the Bears engaged amid their adversity.
“I’m treating it like we’re in playoff mode now,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “I think five very winnable games here to end the season and who knows what can happen at 9-8? I’m not looking too big picture — you take it one week at a time. Look, there’s a lot of flux at the bottom of the NFC here, especially for that seven (or) six spot. You never know what can happen. You got to take it one week at a time, and we’ll see where it goes.
"You’ve seen the steps (of progress) there on tape. The results haven’t been always what we’ve wanted them to be. But we’re optimistic that if we keep grinding away at this thing and keep going at it the way we have been, then the results will start to show up."
After their matchup against the Lions, the Bears visit the Browns (7-5), host the Cardinals (3-10), host the Falcons (6-6) and then visit the Packers (6-6) in their regular-season finale.
Barring a five-game winning streak that sends the Bears to the playoffs, players will clean out their lockers at Halas Hall on Jan. 8 – known as Black Monday in the NFL. With their jobs on the line, Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles will meet with president Kevin Warren and chairman George McCaskey. Quarterback Justin Fields also faces as uncertain future as he plays out his third NFL season while the Bears' scouting department evaluates the top quarterback prospects in this draft class.
Key decisions loom for fates of the Bears’ most important football figures.
“That is the business we’re in,” linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “I think no matter what, it’s kind of always there. But at the end of the day, we’re here to win games and we’re here to be the best football players we can be. That’s something we have to do. That is our job. That is what we’re here for. I think our team is understanding that these are important games and we know that if we want to do what we’ve got to do, we’ve got to win them. And we’re excited about that. We have the right people in here, the right leaders who understand that.”
Since stepping into his role in April, Warren has gained a stronger grasp of the Bears’ football operations. Warren hasn't publicly spoken to the media since January, when he was first introduced as the team’s new president. With that as context, there have been no assurances issued to support Eberflus and Poles returning to their roles.
The Bears have five games remaining to prove they’re making progress – and to save their jobs. There’s a heavy burden to carry down the stretch.
“You just got to put your best foot forward,” Eberflus said. “And just keep working and grinding and keep executing.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.