With 8:13 left in the Bears-Packers game Sunday night and the Bears down 24-10, Chicago made a head-scratching play call on fourth-and-goal that virtually ended any chance of coming back. The Bears called a quarterback run for Justin Fields from the shotgun with the Bears inches from the goal line instead of either lining up under center to sneak with Fields or using running back David Montgomery, who had a big game.
“We thought it was the best play we had at that point right there for us to score,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said after the game, per Audacy. If we score there, it’s a different ballgame. It’s a one-score game at that point and we still got a chance right there to win.”
The Bears were certainly close to scoring. It was a close call that the referees initially viewed as a stop, and then confirmed on replay after a challenge from Eberflus.
“We felt we had a good look at it, so we made the challenge,” Matt Eberflus said of the challenge. They thought otherwise, and that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Either way, it was a perplexing play call. The Bears were inches away from a score and could have ran a QB sneak with Fields or ran the ball right up the middle with Montgomery, who rushed for 122 yards on 15 carries.
“A lot of times what you do is you outnumber the box. So, you’re using your quarterback as a runner, you got an additional blocker and you like your numbers in the box there,” Matt Eberflus said in trying to explain his decision-making. That’s why we called it. It was the best play we had right there at the time.”
Montgomery didn't seem to mind that he hadn't gotten the ball, instead backing up his coach's decision.
Follow Us
Subscribe