Bears’ Clock Management Controversy in Thanksgiving Loss to Lions

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Bears’ Clock Management Controversy in Thanksgiving Loss to Lions

The Chicago Bears suffered a heartbreaking 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, marred by controversial clock management in the final seconds.

Head coach Matt Eberflus defended his decision-making, but players and fans were left bewildered by the team’s inability to capitalize on a potential game-tying or winning opportunity.

The Final Sequence

With 36 seconds remaining and trailing by three points, the Bears faced a critical third-and-26 from Detroit’s 41-yard line. Instead of calling a timeout, Chicago let precious seconds tick away:

  1. Quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked with 32 seconds left
  2. The clock continued to run as the offense scrambled to line up
  3. The final play was snapped with only 6 seconds remaining
  4. Williams’ deep pass to rookie Rome Odunze fell incomplete as time expired

Eberflus’ Explanation

Coach Eberflus stood by his decision not to call a timeout, stating, “I like what we did there.” He explained the team’s strategy:

  • I hope to “rerack” the play at 18 seconds
  • Throw inbounds to get into field goal range
  • Call a timeout to set up the game-tying kick

Eberflus insisted, “I think we handled it the right way,” despite the outcome.

Player Reactions

The Bears’ locker room was filled with confusion and frustration:

  • Tight end Cole Kmet: “I suddenly see everybody come on the field, and the game is over. So, I was like, ‘What the eff just happened?'”Comprehensive receiver DJ Moore: “We’ve got to find a way to win. We keep returning to these games and having time to win the game, and we s— the bed.”
  • Cornerback Kyler Gordon: “I’m not going to lie to you. I thought at least we were going to kick a field goal. It is what it is. It happened.”

Missed Opportunities

The Bears’ kicker, Cairo Santos, was warming up on the sideline, expecting a chance at a potential game-tying field goal. His career-long is 55 yards, and he had successfully kicked a 58-yarder earlier in the season.

Broader Implications

This loss drops the Bears to 4-8 for the season and extends some unfortunate streaks:

  • The first team since 1933 to have a six-game losing streak without committing multiple turnovers in any of those games
  • Tied for the most losses (4) in a season decided by three or fewer points in franchise history
  • Eberfluw holds a 5-19 record in one-score games, the worst mark by any coach with at least 20 such games in NFL history.

As questions about Eberflus’ job security continue to mount, he remains focused on “grinding and working.” The Bears must address their late-game execution issues to salvage anything from this disappointing season.

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