Matt Eberflus places last in CBS head coach rankings
Matt Eberflus places last in CBS head coach rankings originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
CBS ranked Matt Eberflus last in their 2023 NFL head coach rankings.
"It's not all Eberflus' fault he debuted with a stripped-down roster, but if you're gonna be a defensive HC in today's NFL, you'd prefer not to shepherd one of the league's worst units on that side of the ball. A big leap from QB Justin Fields would help," Cody Benjamin wrote.
Hmm...
There is a point to be made about Eberflus coaching up the worst defense in the NFL last season -- one that allowed 27.2 points per game last season. That's virtually inexcusable as a defensive-minded head coach.
What Benjamin failed to note was the defense's stripping of Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith midseason with trades to the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens, respectively.
Players to the caliber of Jack Sanborn, who ironically finished with an impressive season in Smith's place, were left for Eberflus to plug and play. Not to mention, the defense was heavily reliant on its rookies, such as Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker.
Eberflus doesn't have an excuse for finishing last. Yes, the defensive side of the roster was suboptimal. But coaching plays a major influence on how a defense performs. A last-place finish with a relatively manageable schedule shouldn't have been the outcome of their 2022 season.
But I think one factor -- immeasurable to this exercise -- that went overlooked was Eberflus' culture-building. The team's culture has changed from years past. Players played hard for Eberflus. His H.I.T.S principle was praised from innumerable accounts by players.
More, with the help of Luke Getsy, Ebeflus and the Bears extracted one of the best seasons on the ground in quarterback history. Justin Fields ran for 1,143 yards -- the second-most in a single season in NFL history -- and ran for eight touchdowns.
That doesn't happen without a strategy change they implemented midway through the season. If anything, it's a hat tip to their adaptability. On a seemingly hopeless offense, the Bears made something out of nothing with their 23rd-ranked attack.
The bottom line is this -- there are many coaches on the list who deserve lower rankings than Eberflus. The Colts head coach, Shane Steichen, is going into his inaugural season as a head coach. How does he deserve a higher ranking, nonetheless 24th on the list? He has no résumé as a head coach.
Should Josh McDaniels earn a better ranking after going 6-11 with the Raiders while possessing three, star offensive players in Dererk Carr, Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs?
I'm not trying to glorify and commend Eberflus. He's been a head coach for one season. But I think it's safe to say some coaches deserved lower rankings based on their roster expectations and overall experience.
I understand the criticism. I don't understand the ranking.
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