Stephen A. Smith has told the Chicago Bears it’s time to fire head coach Matt Eberflus after a disastrous ending to their Thanksgiving fixture.

The Bears were beaten 23-20 by the Detroit Lions after incredibly clawing themselves back into the game having trailed 16-0 at half-time. Chicago finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter but it was a fourth quarter comeback that almost stole the headlines.

Instead, the spotlight is on Eberflus with the coach’s decision not to call a timeout proving to be a potentially game changing one. The Bears were just a few yards outside of field goal range on third down with 36 seconds on the clock. Eberflus decided not to call a timeout while letting quarterback Caleb Williams get another play in.

However, the quarterback took too long to get the play off and threw a deep pass which had been incomplete. The extended play failed to develop in time as the Bears wasted the chance to salvage the game. Chicago could have gained a few yards to give their kicker an opportunity to tie the game.

The Bears were left to regret their terrible game management and Eberflus has come under incredible pressure. His lack of action saw Smith take to X to slam the Chicago coach and question his future. “You get off just one play in the final 26 seconds,” he wrote. “Is there any more proof needed for the Chicago Bears and their fans everywhere that a new coach is needed? That it’s time for a change?”

CBS analyst Matt Ryan also shared his disbelief at Eberflus on the network’s post-game show. “This is unacceptable from the head coach position,” he said. “Your responsibility is to not panic in critical situations. To put your team in the best opportunity to win games. That’s a massive, massive fail by Matt Eberflus.”

Matt Eberflus

Matt Eberflus is under incredible pressure after Lions mishap ( 

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Getty Images)

Questions surroundings Eberflus’ approach were even put to Williams, who replied that in the latter years of his career he may have called for the timeout himself. “In that situation, I’m living with the call and letting coaches make that decision,” the quarterback said. “Maybe in the later years of my career (he may call a timeout himself), right now I get the call and I’m trying to lead my team to a win.”

Defeat meant the Bears fell to a 4-8 record for the season with their last win coming against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in October. The six games since have all been defeats, leaving them a long way adrift of their division rivals.

Eberflus’ position will be under scrutiny in the final five games of the regular season if he is to retain his job. But the run-in is one of the toughest in the NFL with the Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers all to come.