Bears Head Coach Thomas Brown (Photo Credit: Chicago Bears).
by Evan Moore, For the Chicago Defender
In the aftermath of Bears coach Matt Eberlfus’s firing, interim Thomas Brown said all the right things regarding changes being made, accountability and the maturation process for the team’s rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams.
After all, Brown, earlier this year, the Bears hired him to be the team’s passing game coordinator.
Since then, after the firings of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and Eberflus, Brown was promoted from offensive coordinator to the interim head coach in the span of a few weeks.
Talk about a November to remember.
“My goal has always been the same from Day 1 as far as being in a leadership position,” Brown told a team reporter. “… I told them a minute ago after practice there is no confidence loss at all as far as what I think about them. I don’t care what anybody else thinks about them. I think we have a very talented football team. It’s about just putting the work in every single day to give us an opportunity to win.”
Due to the coaching changes, the Bears now have Black men helming the offensive coordinator (Chris Beatty) and the defensive coordinator (Eric Washington) — the two high profile coaching jobs after the head coach.
Once reporters pointed that factoid out, in no surprise to anyone, some fans questioned what race had to do with the recent comings and goings.
Historically, Black coaches are often thrust into untenable situations where they’re expected to make a dollar out of 15 cents.
In some cases, they do just that and rarely reap the rewards when turning a team around.
Look no further than former NFL head coach Steve Wilks.
Ahead of the 2022 season, Wilks, who was given only one season to turn around the Arizona Cardinals before being jettisoned, was brought in as an assistant coach with Panthers. During the season, head coach Matt Rhule was fired, and Wilks was elevated to replace him on an interim basis. Wilks righted the ship by coaching the Panthers to a .500 record.
What did Wilks receive for improving the Panthers?
He watched the team hire Frank Reich, whom the Panthers fired after he started the 2023 season with a 1-10 record.
Via local media, players discussed the Thanksgiving postgame locker room fireworks leading to the Bears head coaching change.
The players — based on reporting and what they’ve said in corresponding radio interviews — got what they wanted. And when players normally get what they want, they tend to respond well on the field providing results turning the season around.
No such instance took place versus the 49ers.
The Bears lined up this past Sunday against the 49ers, a team, like them, who needed a “get right game.” Despite the injuries, and a closing Super Bowl aspirational window, the 49ers got the job done.
You know, like a team that knows what they are doing when things don’t go their way.
From start to finish, the 49ers were in control racking up four touchdowns (one called by a penalty) before the Bears could react. Bears fans wanted to see the same energy in light of the team’s historic, midseason head coaching change.
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, one of the team’s best players and a respected veteran, has been one of the main voices when describing the Bears’ disappointing season.
In the aftermath of Sunday’s game, Johnson succinctly sums up what the team has been going through along with the fanbase’s thoughts as a promising season continues to deteriorate.
“We’re just really trying to establish culture within the building. That’s something that doesn’t change no matter who comes in – coaches, players, whatever it may be,” he told 670 The Score. “We’re in a sticky situation as far as trying to figure out ways to get on track considering change is coming, change has been happening for weeks now, months. So I mean, it’s not an easy situation. I feel like it’s one of those things where people ask, ‘Is it effort? Is it this? Is it coaching?’ This game is not something you can put a finger on until it’s already too late.
“We’ve had a lot of instability throughout this building in the past five years that I’ve been here. We’re on two GMs, three head coaches, I can’t count how many offensive coordinators, how many defensive coordinators. So it’s hard.”
While the team tries to stop their current losing streak, the most talked about Bear outside of Williams, needs to get right.
Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson hasn’t been the same player since the Hail Mary debacle versus the Commanders. Previously, Stevenson played with an edge that his teammates fed off of. The Hail Mary fallout continues to have an adverse affect on his game. His game is predicated on aggression — commonly-known as “s–t starting.” Since the “Fail Mary,” we’ve seen less and less of it.
Despite everything going with the Bears, let’s face it, everyone — fans, players, local media — thought the team was on the cusp of greatness.
Free agent signings, draft picks, and an already solid defense had us all believe that the Bears were somewhat better than the 2023 version.
Seems like we’ll get more of the same.
Damn.
[throws remote at TV]
Evan Moore
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