Matt Eberflus believes Bears are ‘real close’ despite nightmare start to 2023 season: ‘I’ve seen it before’

Perhaps no team has had a rougher start to the 2023 season than the Chicago Bears. Not only are they winless through three weeks, but they lost defensive coordinator Alan Williams while star quarterback Justin Fields has struggled. Things almost appeared to come to a head Sunday, when the Bears fell to the Kansas City Chiefs, 41-10.

Despite all of the early-season adversity, head coach Matt Eberflus believes his team is about to turn the corner.

“I think we’re real close,” Eberflus said, via SI.com. “I really do. I know a lot of people say it’s far way away. I don’t believe that. I think we’re close.

“I think it’s more about the details of the individual person. If we just keep doing that right, right things are going to happen.”

The Bears have lost 13 straight games dating back to last year, which is the longest active streak in the NFL. Eberflus is 3-17 as a head coach, making him one of just 10 head coaches since 1970 to lose 17 of their first 20 games. This season, Chicago ranks fourth-worst in total offense (250 yards per game) and is averaging 15.7 points per game, which ranks sixth-worst in the league. 

So, why does Eberflus believe the Bears are about to have that breakthrough? 

“Because I’ve seen it before,” Eberfuls said. “Like I said, back when I was with the Colts, when I was the DC at Missouri, the first two years we weren’t very good and that was hard. It was hard business. At the Colts, we were losing to teams we probably shouldn’t have lost to to begin with. Same thing when I was back at Missouri. All of a sudden, if you just keep doing right, OK, and keep your head down and focus on what matters, good things happen.”

The Bears will look to snap their losing streak this week against another winless team in the Denver Broncos. Sean Payton’s squad was run off the field by the Miami Dolphins last week, 70-20, which should have Fields and Co. excited. This meeting between the Bears and Broncos is just the fifth since 1970 to feature two teams coming off of 30-point losses.