Controversial Comment: Eberflus’ Field Goal Remark Raises Eyebrows

In 2019, former Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro embarrassed the Matt Nagy coaching staff by admitting after a missed game-deciding 41-yard field goal that he didn’t want the ball on the left hash mark for the boot against the Chargers at Soldier Field.

History repeats itself in a way under Matt Eberflus, except it wasn’t a missed kick this time to cost them the game like it was with Pineiro. It was Sunday’s block by the Packers.

And it wasn’t the kicker admitting to something. It was coach Matt Eberflus, who after the game said he had decided not to get the ball closer than a 46-yard try when he had a timeout in his pocket.

Eberflus made it clear he hadn’t taken into account Cairo Santos’ preference for a hash mark on the winning kick try. He really didn’t need to, though. He should have already known.

Santos has made it clear in the past he prefers it on the right hash, and Eberflus was asked Wednesday by CHGO’s Nick Moreano if thought was given to putting it there for his kicker on the previous running play.

After all, Eberflus, himself, had meticulously crafted this situation on the final kick by letting the clock run down.

“There was not,” Eberflus said of giving it consideration. “There was not.

“We feel good about our decision there.”

Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower talks to media on Thursday and his spin on the topic will no doubt be of interest. Most likely he’ll dive on the grenade for his head coach.

Two former members of the Bears field goal operation were stunned when they heard Eberflus hadn’t given thought to this.

“What I don’t understand is why are we not talking about putting the ball on the right hash when Cairo kicks every single one of his extra points and most of his field goals when they get in those situations,” former Bears kicker Robbie Gould told Bears Den on Marquee Network.

Gould’s long snapper, Patrick Mannelly, told Holmes and Spiegel on the Score that this was an “egregious” error on Eberflus’ part or possibly Hightower.

“That’s coaching 101,” was Mannelly’s immediate response when told what Eberflus said in response to Moreano’s question.

“So you’ve gone over this scenerio two or three to four times throughout the entire offseason and regular season so when you’re doing that the special teams coach is standing next to the head coach and OC and he’s asking—should be asking—all right what’s our kick line today with this wind because at Halas Hall it can be windy.

So it will be a different kick line if you’re going for the field goal. What hash line today would Cairo prefer? That is always discussed. “I played 16 year in the NFL, was fortunate enough to be in on a lot of game-winning kicks, game-missed kicks, game-blocked kicks, whatever. That is always discussed as soon as you get the ball back. The (special teams) coordinator should click over to the head coach and OC and say ‘listen, here’s the kick line, going north or south, wherever you’re going in Soldier Field or a dome or wherever it is. If you have time, Cairo prefers it on the right hash.’ “