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Matt Eberflus is out as head coach of the Chicago Bears, and Thomas Brown has stepped up as the interim replacement following Friday's announcement of Eberflus’ firing, according to multiple reports.
Brown will maintain his role as the Bears' offensive play-caller while stepping into his new position, according to a source. This continuity is expected to benefit Caleb Williams, who has shown notable improvement since Brown assumed play-calling duties three weeks ago.
#Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown will continue calling offensive plays in his new role, per source.
Continuity for Caleb Williams, whose play has improved since Brown took over playcalling three weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/KqVpRIfXHx
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 30, 2024
Sitting at 4-8, the Bears have focused this season on maximizing Caleb Williams' development. The departure of Matt Eberflus and defensive play-caller, who held a 14-32 career record, has minimal impact on Williams' progression.
The 38-year-old, Brown joined the Bears during the offseason as the passing game coordinator but was elevated to offensive coordinator earlier this month following Shane Waldron’s dismissal.
In under three weeks, Brown has rapidly ascended from passing game coordinator to interim head coach.
The Bears improving since Thomas Brown handled the offense
Since stepping in as offensive coordinator following Waldron’s dismissal, Brown has showcased a more intense and passionate coaching approach compared to Matt Eberflus. While he lacks prior head coaching experience, Brown’s energetic style became evident in his work with Caleb Williams. Now leading the entire team, he aims to instill that same high-energy dynamic across the board.
The Bears quarterback has flourished under Brown. Over the past three games, Williams has completed 75 of 117 passes for 827 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions, earning a 99.2 passer rating. This marks a significant improvement from his earlier performance, where he posted an 81.0 passer rating with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.
The 99.2 passer rating Williams posted came against challenging NFC North opponents, showing significant improvement. However, what Brown needs to focus on with Williams and the entire team is clear after the Bears' three heartbreaking losses to NFC North rivals, where rallies fell short in each game.
The passing attack has been a notable strength despite some challenges. Even though Williams has been sacked five more times, bringing his total to an NFL-high 49, the offense showed improvement in the second half against the Detroit Lions, throwing three touchdown passes.
Williams also set a new NFL rookie record for consecutive passes without an interception, surpassing Kyler Murray's previous mark of 211, with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen in the third quarter. His streak now stands at 232 straight passes without an interception.
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Over the past two weeks, Williams threw five touchdown passes, bringing his season total to 14, a new Bears rookie record.
Points of Emphasis for the Bears
The run defense is a major area of concern. Detroit racked up 144 of its 197 rushing yards in the first half, building a sizable lead. The Bears have struggled all season to stop the run, and the loss of defensive tackle Andrew Billings, who was placed on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle in Week 8, has only worsened matters.
Heading into the weekend's games, the Bears are ranked 30th in the league in yards allowed per rush.
Brown was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, but he missed his rookie season due to an injury sustained during the preseason. After his time with the Falcons, Brown briefly joined the Cleveland Browns before transitioning to coaching.
Brown coached running backs at various colleges, including Chattanooga, Marshall, Wisconsin, Georgia, Miami (where he also served as offensive coordinator), and South Carolina.
His first NFL role came with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020 as their running backs coach. The following year, Brown was promoted to assistant head coach while maintaining his role with the running backs. That season, the Rams triumphed over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. In his final year with the Rams, Brown shifted from coaching running backs to overseeing tight ends.
Thomas Brown helping in Caleb Williams' development
The Bears dropped all three games with Brown as offensive coordinator, but each loss was close, and the offense showed progress. They lost to the Green Bay Packers by one point after a potential game-winning field goal was blocked, fell to the Minnesota Vikings by three points in overtime, and lost to the Lions by three on Thursday.
If the Bears can secure a few wins or, more significantly, foster noticeable development in Caleb Williams under Thomas Brown's leadership, they should consider it a win and focus less on evaluating his long-term potential as a head coach.
