This is the type of week that tests teams. Can Matt Eberflus’ Chicago Bears rebound after Hail Mary?

LAKE FOREST – Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus had a meeting with his team captains this week. Some things needed to be said, by both the coach and the eight captains.

“I trust those guys,” Eberflus said. “I believe in those guys. We had great conversations. Those guys have done a great job of leading this team, and they’re going to continue to do it this week, leading from the inside out.”

This is the type of week that requires a little extra leadership from all parties. The Bears are coming off a devastating loss after Jayden Daniels’ 52-yard Hail Mary toss on the final play of last week’s game. On top of that, one of their starting defenders didn’t appear to have his head in the game when that final play started.

It’s natural for there to be some finger pointing after a loss. But a crushing loss like that can bring out the worst in people. These are the weeks that test a team, both its players and its coaches.

Eberflus’ teams have been tested before. A large part of general manager Ryan Poles’ decision to keep Eberflus in 2024 was his resiliency in the face of adversity. The Bears began the 2023 season 0-4, blowing a 28-7 lead in the second half against Denver in Week 4.

Last January, Poles commended Eberflus’ ability to right the ship. The Bears somehow clawed back to 5-8 and were in playoff contention in early December.

This time around, the Bears are in a much better place. They started 4-2 before the loss last weekend at Washington. All their goals are still on the table ahead of them, although the schedule is going to get much tougher in November in December.

Still, Eberflus needs to rally this team after a seismic loss. Is this week a test of the team’s culture?

“Yeah, because now you really get to see if we can bounce back and really stay together,” receiver DJ Moore said. “That’s the biggest thing.”

The Bears have not been afraid to speak openly about what went wrong in the final minutes in Washington. Moore questioned the goal-line decision to hand the ball off to a backup offensive lineman in the fourth quarter, which ended in a fumble. Safety Kevin Byard had no problem saying he felt the Bears could’ve approached the final drive differently, prior to the Hail Mary.

Those are two team captains and leaders on their respective sides of the football. Those weren’t meant as criticisms, per se. The players just want to help figure this out as much as the coaches.

“I do welcome those discussions because when you have other people – coaches, players – all on the same page and getting to the right answers for next time or doing things differently or doing things better, we’re always doing that with all aspects of the game,” Eberflus said when asked about Byard’s comments.

There’s a reason this Bears team has eight team captains. Most NFL teams have only a handful. Typically only four captains go out onto the field prior to the game for the coin toss.

The players voted for their team captains in August and Eberflus settled on the number eight. Turning the page on a devastating loss is as much on the team leaders as it is on the coaches.

Something I go by myself is that OK teams: nobody leads. Good teams: the coaches lead. And great teams: the players lead.”

—  Caleb Williams, Bears quarterback

“Something I go by myself is that OK teams: nobody leads. Good teams: the coaches lead. And great teams: the players lead,” said quarterback Caleb Williams, another one of those team captains. “We have to find ways to be better for ourselves.”

While Bears fans might not get over the loss to the Commanders quickly, the Bears can’t afford to waste time. As veteran linebacker Tremaine Edmunds noted, “Sunday comes fast” in the NFL.

Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson agreed that this Bears team has to turn the page quickly.

“We’re just trying to find ways to move forward,” Johnson said. “But I mean that’s really the biggest thing, just trying to find ways to move forward and make sure everybody’s mind is in the right spot to win games.”