The Chicago Bears picked up their first win of the Ben Johnson era this past Sunday in their 31-14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. As sweet as it was to get that first win of the season in the record books, Sunday's game provided fans with a bit of revenge as well.
The Cowboys' defense, which Caleb Williams torched for just under 300 yards and four touchdowns, was led by none other than former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. Given all the frustrations that Bears fans endured during Eberflus' tenure in the Windy City, seeing the team's franchise QB have a near-perfect performance against his former coach was good for the mental health of football fans throughout Chicago.
While the vibes are high in Chicago coming off this victory, the same cannot be said in Dallas. After a second straight week where his defense was eaten alive by the passing game, Eberflus appears to have landed directly on the hot seat coming out of the beatdown he received at Soldier Field over the weekend.
Chicago's 31-14 Beatdown of Dallas Lands Matt Eberflus on Hot Seat
Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed the team is making changes on defense after getting dismantled by the Bears. Not only is Eberflus' scheme being adjusted, but the Cowboys may change up their personnel as well, and they're requiring a defense-wide meeting on the heels of their Week 3 disaster.
The fact this is coming from Schottenheimer shows how much trouble Eberflus is in. It's obvious this is an issue at the top of leadership's mind, and Eberflus being forced to change his approach this early clearly signals his job is on the line, as the team already lacks trust in how he's running things.
It is a bit of poetic justice for Eberflus to find himself in this spot coming out of a road game against the Bears. These are largely the same issues he had during his stay as head coach in Chicago when he managed to scrape together a record of 14-32. As bad as his head coaching record was, Eberflus was somehow even worse away from home as he owned a record of 3-19 away from the Windy City.
Making changes like this after just three weeks could be considered a stretch by some, but the Dallas Cowboys aren't run like your typical franchise. They may not have won anything of consequence since the 1990s; however, the brand is as strong as ever. Simply put, Schottenheimer needed to step in before it was too late and a season was lost as a result.
It is very hard to justify defending, allowing 288 pass yards per game and seven total touchdowns compared to just a single interception. Anyone clamoring that Eberflus is getting a raw deal here needs to take a look in the mirror because this is exactly what he brought to the table with the Bears. Frustration and the occasional curse word popping out.
If things don't change soon for Eberflus in Dallas, it wouldn't be shocking to see him be the next big name shipped out of town in the Lone Star State.