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Matt Eberflus might be nearing the end of his tenure in Chicago following a critical mismanagement of timeouts that occurred while the nation watched on Thanksgiving.
In New York, Brian Daboll’s position is also under scrutiny as his team struggles.
Although Mike McDaniel is not currently facing immediate pressure, Miami’s prospects look bleak if the Dolphins continue to falter in cold-weather games.
Eberflus’ blunder during Thursday’s matchup was so glaring that many speculate a coaching shift could happen soon. This error overshadowed a commendable second-half effort from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who managed to bring the Bears close to pulling off an upset against the Lions.
Eberflus further compounded the problem by allowing critical seconds to waste away. With the Bears trailing Detroit 23-20, they were looking at a second-and-20 from the Lions’ 35-yard line with only 36 seconds left on the clock. Williams was sacked by Za’Darius Smith for a six-yard loss on what was supposed to be a quarterback draw.
Instead of using the team’s final timeout when there were 32 seconds remaining, which would have provided Williams and his offense a chance to regroup after the sack, the decision to let the clock run down was puzzling. On third-and-26 from the 41-yard line, the offense should have ideally focused on a short sideline pass to shorten the field goal attempt. Even attempting a play toward the center of the field would have given the special teams enough time to set up for a kick.
However, the game clock continued to tick down. Williams received assistance from two of his offensive linemen, and a lack of urgency was evident among teammates who may have anticipated a timeout call. The Bears squandered 26 crucial seconds before the snap finally arrived, with just six seconds remaining. Williams’ throw to Rome Odunze was incomplete as time ran out before Cairo Santos could attempt a 59-yard field goal.
The choice to let the clock run after the sack was baffling, yet Eberflus defended it by stating, “Our hope was to re-rack the play at 18 seconds, throw it inbounds, get into field-goal range, and then call a timeout. That was our thought process.”
Williams also deserves criticism for taking too long to gauge the field before snapping the ball. Eberflus backed the decision: “I like what we did there. I think we handled it correctly. It just didn’t work out.”
The situation could have been less complicated; Eberflus had two timeouts available but wasted one after an incomplete pass on first down that stopped the clock with 43 seconds remaining. He opted to call that timeout to avoid a possible delay of game when offensive coordinator Thomas Brown was slow to make a play call.
Currently, the Bears find themselves at 4-8, having lost six consecutive games. What began as a season filled with optimism has quickly soured, marking Chicago’s fifth consecutive year on the outside looking in for the playoffs. Eberflus holds a record of 14-32 and his recent questionable tactics are not doing him any favors.
In New York, Daboll’s situation doesn’t require any extra blunders from the coach to put his job at risk. His security with the Giants has been uncertain for weeks, and following a 27-20 loss to Dallas, his record now stands at 2-10.
The Giants have dropped seven games in a row and are bracing for significant changes, which might include the departure of general manager Joe Schoen. After a 2-5 start, team owner John Mara expressed that there would be no changes during the season and that he does not foresee alterations in the offseason.
Despite Mara’s vote of confidence, the team has yet to secure a win since. Daboll remarked about the disappointing outcomes: “No, I don’t like the results. Nobody does. But I believe in the people around me; we just need to improve.”
The Thanksgiving tripleheader wrapped up with the Packers defeating the Dolphins 30-17. Miami currently sits at 5-7 and has now lost 12 consecutive games when the kickoff temperature was below 40 degrees, as per Sportradar data.
McDaniel saw the Dolphins reach the playoffs in each of his first two years, although both ended in wild-card defeats against Buffalo and Kansas City in subsequent seasons.
With upcoming games on the road against the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets, Miami has opportunities to confront their cold-weather slump. However, their efforts may prove too late to leave a significant mark on the current season.
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