The Chicago Bears were playing some of their best football of the season heading into their Week 13 bye. They defeated the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football to close out Week 12, giving them a victory in two out of their last three games.
The team was in a late-game meltdown against the Detroit Lions in Week 11 from being on a three-game winning streak and right in the thick of the Wild Card picture in the NFC. While they are still mathematically alive for a playoff spot, their hopes are slim of earning one of the three Wild Card spots.
However, the last five games of the season are vastly important for the Bears whether they make the playoffs or not. There are a lot of coaches and players who will be looking to prove they should keep their jobs beyond the 2023 season.
NFL News & Rumors: Matt EberflusEric Bieniemy, Washington Commanders Chicago Bears Updates
One of the people who will be under the microscope is head coach Matt Eberflus. There were rumors earlier this season that Eberflus was in danger of losing his job before the team’s Thursday Night Football game against the Washington Commanders.
Had the Bears lost that game, speculation was running rampant that Eberflus would have been fired. Alas, the team responded, picking up a dominant 40-20 victory for their first of the season. Since that point, Chicago has been a .500 team, performing at a much higher level.
However, there is still a chance the Bears opt for a clean slate in 2024 and move on from Eberflus. If that is the route they take, one candidate to keep an eye on as his replacement is the Commanders’ offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy.
The Commanders could be heading toward some major coaching changes of their own. At 4-8 and under new ownership, wholesale changes could be on the horizon so that the owners can bring their own people in.
NFL News & Rumors: Matt EberflusEric Bieniemy, Washington Commanders Chicago Bears Updates
Bieniemy should garner head coaching interest in this year’s cycle as well. Some franchises wanted to see how he could operate away from Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes and he has strengthened his resume with the Commanders.
Despite having one of the worst offensive lines to work with, Bieniemy has overseen a solid passing offense led by second-year quarterback Sam Howell, who is top 10 in multiple passing categories.
Someone of Bieniemy’s caliber would be a great hire for the Bears. He should be able to bring the most out of Justin Fields, should he remain the team’s quarterback beyond 2023. If not, it would be a lot of fun watching Bieniemy create an offense with Caleb Williams or Drake Maye as his starting quarterback.
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