The Chicago Bears lost in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday at Soldier Field when the Green Bay Packers blocked a game-winning field goal attempt as time expired.
On Monday, head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters that the Bears believe the Packers committed a penalty on the block and have filed a complaint with the NFL. Eberflus also defended his decision to attempt the kick from 46 yards instead of using the remaining time in the game to attempt a shorter attempt.
what happened
On Sunday, the Bears were leading the Packers 20-19 when they stole the ball at their own 30-yard line with 2:59 left in regulation. They ran a 42-yard drive to Green Bay’s 28-yard line, where Cairo Santos attempted a 46-yard field goal that would have won the game.
A Packers defender penetrated the middle from the snap and blocked the kick, securing the victory for Green Bay.
Eberflus acknowledged the Bears’ poor blocking, but believes the Packers made illegal contact with long snapper Scott Daley during the play and is asking the NFL to re-investigate.
“We definitely had to be more solid inside,” Eberflus said of the play. “And once again, we’re going to put in a play because obviously they were going after our long snapper. So we’re going to put in a play and see what the league decides from there. But again, we’re going to put in a play and see what the league decides from there. However, we must take a more resolute stance.”Execution. ”
When asked to clarify what he found problematic about the play, Eberflus said:
“We saw him in direct contact with him right away,” Eberflus said.
Was the blocked kick a legal play?
According to NFL rules, long snappers are considered defenseless players at the time of the snap, giving them additional protection. According to these rules, defenders are prohibited from “forcibly striking a defenseless player in the head or neck area with his helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder.”
Daly did not raise his head until two Packers defenders attacked him. TJ Slaton jumped over him and slammed him to the ground before Daley could get into an upright blocking position. Whether the contact is illegal is subjective. On Sunday, authorities did not consider the penalty warranted.
The Bears made their final offensive play Sunday with 35 seconds left. They gained 2 yards on a run to Green Bay’s 28-yard line and elected not to make another offensive play, even though there was one timeout and 30 seconds left in the game.
They called a timeout with three seconds left on the clock to set up a field goal attempt. Eberflus was asked about the decision again on Monday, a day after he defended it in the post-match press conference.
“It feels really good to run the ball there and get to the 28-yard line and get down to 3 seconds and go for the game-winner there,” Eberflus said.
He also explained the downside risk he considered when choosing not to make another play.
“The obvious risk is that if you start wrong, you’ll be set back,” Ebeflus continued. “If you play outside, it’s called holding. If you throw a pass, it gets chipped.”
Sunday’s loss was the fourth in a row for Chicago, which started 4-2 and pushed the Bears further away from the playoffs. And Eberflus once again faces a series of difficult questions about how a once-promising season went awry.
