Most of the Chicago Bears coaching staff will be borderline unemployed after this season, but that didn’t stop them from making some of the most difficult-to-watch decisions in the NFL heading into their season. 6-3 loss to the Seahawks on Thursday.
Trailing 6-3 with 2:14 left in the fourth quarter, the Bears lined up to go for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 39-yard line before a false start pushed them back five yards.
Interim coach Thomas Brown then decided to punt with all three timeouts remaining, but then used a timeout and sent the offense back to go for it again.
Bears coach Thomas Brown has had a nightmare coaching the Bears as interim coach. AP
“It wasn’t confusion at all, I just changed my mind,” Brown told reporters after the game. “I changed my mind and said, ‘Let’s go for it now,’ and sent the foul back onto the grass.”
Bears fans rained boos on the team after wasting the timeout, although the call worked temporarily when Caleb Williams threw a pass to receiver DJ Moore for a first down.
Fans were also outraged when Brown called another timeout with the clock stopped after Williams threw the ball away on third-and-10 from the Seahawks’ 40 with just 35 seconds left.
“Just communicating more cleanly, getting out of the huddle and hitting the ball faster,” Brown said of using another timeout. “We didn’t want to waste any plays. Provide a timeout from a game delay perspective, so that was the whole reason for burning a timeout.
Caleb Williams has been given no favors by his coaching staff. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Brown also did not trust his kicker to attempt a 57-yard field goal to tie the game and instead opted for a play on fourth-and-10, which resulted in a game-ending interception.
Fans have had it about the limit in Chicago.
They started the season 4-2 and previously seemed destined for 5-2 defensive back Tyrique Stevenson started whistling at Commanders fans before Jayden Daniels dropped back to throw a Hail Mary and successfully completed it to win the Week 8 match.
Chicago is now 4-12, having lost ten straight games.
Thomas Brown told reporters he changed his mind about going for it on fourth down. AP
Brown took over for coach Matt Eberflusbut neither coaching staff has been successful as their starting quarterback has regressed during his first season.
Bear fan and WWE wrestler CM Punk destroyed the team’s ownership group on Christmas Day.
Caleb Williams threw an interception when the Bears could have made a 57-yard field goal. AP
“Nothing will change until the McCaskeys sell the team. I said it,” Punk said prior to Chiefs-Steelers. “We’re live on Netflix, I don’t care. I’ve been there. Oh, Lovie Smith is going to change the Bears. Oh, (Mitchell) Trubisky is going to change the Bears. Then we trade up and lose (Patrick) Mahomes.”
Chicago closes out its terrible season on the road against the Packers next week.