The HITS principle lives again.
As Bears head coach, Matt Eberflus failed to get the job done managing the end of games.
There were few complaints about his defense, though, especially when he had them ranked in the top 10 before the Hail Mary pass.
He'll get to concentrate on his strength now after the Dallas Cowboys have hired Eberflus as their defensive coordinator, according to a report by former ESPN reporter Ed Werder.
"Flus" is the choice of new Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer to run the Cowboys defense and it's his second stint with Dallas. Eberflus was a Cowboys linebackers coach from 2011-17 prior to going to Indianapolis in 2018 to be defensive coordinator.
It would make for an interesting Bears game next season with the Cowboys coming to Soldier Field, on a date yet to be determined. He'll be coaching a defense with
Micah Parsons, Daron Bland and Trevon Diggs.
The Bears had won 11 of 19 games after their 3-18 start to the Eberflus era and things were looking up. Then came the Hail Mary pass after their 4-2 start to last season and they didn't win again until five games after Eberflus was fired on the day after Thanksgiving.
The Bears were seventh on defense going into the game against Jacksonville and they finished 27th. It all ended on the day after Thanksgiving when Eberflus couldn't manage the end of the game, just as he failed to do it on the Hail Mary pass.
He had other problems like this to end the first half against Arizona and then on a blocked field goal against Green Bay when they could have tried to get the ball closer than 46 yards for the win.
