NFL Week 3 Awards: The Bears must fire Matt Eberflus sooner rather than later to protect Caleb Williams’ future

We haven't left September of this young NFL season, but I feel comfortable expressing these two connected feelings. After watching precocious rookie Caleb Williams do everything he can to stay above water in a moribund Chicago Bears offense that lets defenses harass him to no end, I still think he's going to be a superstar. I still think he's going to be a true field general who strikes fear into defenses every single week. That bright Bears reality comes with a caveat, though.

Williams will never (read: never ever) reach his potential as long as Matt Eberflus is his head coach. Full stop.

Sunday's deflating Bears' loss to the Indianapolis Colts demonstrated exactly why the Bears can't risk damaging their young face of the franchise at the expense of a head coach who can coordinate defense and do nothing else at a competent level.

After trekking through mud all afternoon, the Bears found life thanks to a big-boy drive led by Williams late in the fourth quarter. Chicago would then be faced with a key two-point conversion decision. Any path would've been fine, literally any single decision, as long as Eberflus stayed committed to it. At first, he called for an extra point, signaling a "1" with his pointer finger. So the Bears' special teams unit ran onto the field for an extra point. Mere seconds later, Eberflus seemingly forgot the score was 14-9 and decided to go for two. (I'm not joking. He really might have forgotten.)

By that point, the Bears' special teamers were already on the field, and they had to waste a crucial timeout in a game that remained within one score for basically the entire afternoon. Eberflus would later waste another timeout for nothing, which left the Bears' special defense grasping at straws when they needed one last stop to get Williams the ball at the end.

You can catch the initial burgeoning Chicago confusion for yourself after Rome Odunze scored in the clip below:

I can't overstate this. You have to be on your game at every level, especially with your communication, if you're going to be a successful coach. Eberflus' explanation about this unforgivable sequence after the game didn't make it better because his PRIMARY job is to be an effective communicator:

What's worse about Eberflus' general game management is how he doesn't learn from his mistakes. Because what happened Sunday wasn't a new occurrence. Just last week, he challenged a clear Stefon Diggs catch right in front of him. As a guy who professes to be a CEO-type coach, he continues to let his hand-picked offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron, set the Bears' offense and Williams back with three yards and a cloud of dust on seemingly every possession and in every situation. It's no wonder Williams has to press so much and that the Bears only have three offensive touchdowns in 12 quarters as the bona fide worst offensive team in pro football.

When we start to take more of a macro perspective on the Bears' Eberflus era, it's really challenging to feel good about anything with a guy who directs his team into oncoming traffic without thinking about it. He's barely won 30 percent of his games since starting in 2022. His two coordinator hires -- Luke Getsy and Waldron -- both look like unmitigated disasters. He doesn't know how to challenge "questionable" plays and how to manage timeouts. When push comes to shove, with the Bears' best hope for a bright future finally under center in Williams, Eberflus appears content to be the glorified, defensive-minded bystander who lets crisis envelop an inept Chicago offense that has taken no meaningful steps forward in almost a month.

If not for playing one-man circus act Will Levis in Week 1, Eberflus' coaching seat would be scorching right now. After the Bears' dispiriting start to 2024 -- where they have an elite defense that can't carry an abysmal offense with a talented young quarterback doing his best -- I remain confident the heat is on in some fashion.

So, I'm calling for it now. Be it now or later, the Bears must fire Eberflus -- a guy they should've laid off in the offseason -- to maximize Williams' superstar potential. If I'm the Bears, I don't care about competing for the playoffs this fall. (Though they clearly built this roster with that goal in mind, and that's a different can of worms.) Their aim in 2024 is to ensure that Williams takes meaningful steps forward without defenses teeing off on him relentlessly and without his coaches acting as a rusty anchor ruining his learning experience. Honestly, I don't see Eberflus' approach improving much any time soon, but the Bears will probably (and unfortunately) give him the grace of seeing it out.

We're three games into the Williams-Eberflus era. Thankfully, the damage done to Williams -- who led the NFL in passing on Sunday -- doesn't seem to be permanent just yet. But the more he's exposed to Eberflus and his incompetent cronies over time, I fear the damage will be irreversible.

The future of their franchise, perhaps the last truly unbreakable quarterback even for the Bears, hangs in the balance.

Elsewhere in the NFL in Week 3, Malik Nabers looked like an explosive ballerina, Jalen Carter backed up his trash talk, and the Carolina Panthers genuinely made the right decision. Seriously.

Let's dive into the awards, friends.

Most accurate rant: Jimmy Johnson's tangent about how David Tepper has sunk the Carolina Panthers

The Panthers might have finally won on Sunday, but their early benching of Bryce Young is evidence of deep-rooted problems in the organization. Namely, it shows how Carolina owner David Tepper meddles in football operations too much despite having hired people to make football decisions for him.

Jimmy Johnson captured this harmful disconnect in a way-too-accurate rant for Fox:

Best catch starting a Rookie of the Year case: Malik Nabers, who looked like a ballerina on this touchdown

We thought Malik Nabers might struggle in the New York Giants offense. Why? Because Daniel Jones, on a good day, is a replacement-level quarterback. At a certain point, even a star receiver can't overcome poor quarterback play. Well, Nabers quelled these concerns with a monster 8-catch, 78-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Nabers' best moment came on this below touchdown when he high-pointed the ball, did a full pirouette, and tapped both of his feet in the corner of the end zone ... all in one motion. The rookie playmaker is an artist, and we shouldn't doubt artists when they're at work.

Best accidental lateral that still worked out: Sam Darnold's funky pass attempt

It's still early, but it's probably time to buy Kevin O'Connell's Vikings as a legitimate contender. And the Sam Darnold Redemption Tour steamrolls along. Minnesota now has three straight convincing wins to start the 2024 season, bookended with consecutive victories over the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans- two squads most everyone thinks are Super Bowl-caliber.

But sometimes, success can be predicated on luck, too. This accidental backward lateral from Darnold that somehow still turned into a positive Minnesota gain shows how that can be true:

Most supportive reaction from a teammate: J.J. McCarthy while watching Sam Darnold ball

Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy is out for the 2024 season as he recovers from a fully torn meniscus. So, in some ways, you probably wouldn't be surprised to learn McCarthy is not happy seeing Sam Darnold shine in his stead, making the first-round pick seem replaceable. That would be your assumption.

Instead, McCarthy is a good sport. Even better, he's clearly a true leader who just wants to see his team win as evidenced by his reaction to see Darnold shine against the Texans.

Most unselfish TD sacrifice: Devin Singletary, who gave up an open TD so the Giants could run more clock

To me, one of the hardest instincts to keep at bay as a football player has always been to sacrifice a touchdown. Do you mean to tell me guys willingly give up crossing the plane and all that glory just so their team can play a more meaningful end-of-game possession strategy? It's kinda mind-boggling. I'm too selfish for that, in this regard, personally.

Kudos to Devin Singletary for being a big person while closing out the Browns:

Worst fourth-down play call: The Bears, for running a speed option with Caleb Williams on the goal line

There are a few cardinal sins to offensive football. You don't throw late to the flats. You run the ball well, so there's at least a threat of rushing balance, and defenses don't sell out against your quarterback. And you don't get cute in "gotta have it" situations, especially when it's fourth and short on the goal line.

The Bears broke this final tenet when, after a quality drive against the Indianapolis Colts, they ran speed option (?) with Caleb Williams and D'Andre Swift (???) on the goal line. Of course they were stopped. Just a reminder that defenses stack the line of scrimmage near the end zone. You are never going to have the requisite blockers accounted for to make an option play succeed there.

I still truly don't understand this foolish play call. As I alluded to above, I'm not sure this Bears coaching staff knows what it's doing!

Worst red-zone decision/throw: Anthony Richardson on this horrific INT against the Bears

It's been a rough season for Anthony Richardson so far. The Colts' young quarterback has struggled in Shane Steichen's expansive offense and clearly doesn't look comfortable consistently challenging defenses downfield. Richardson's struggles so far have made the Colts look like one of the NFL's worst teams.

When he's making terrible decisions like this -- lofting a ball to a crowd of Bears defenders for an easy interception (his fifth of the year) -- you see why Richardson is kinda stuck in the mud right now:

Most acceptable form of trash talk: Jalen Carter, for hounding Tyran Mathieu after the Philadelphia Eagles' comeback

The Eagles' offense looked putrid for much of Sunday's battle with the New Orleans Saints. Nick Sirianni's game management was baffling. And yet, somehow, the team still pulled out a much-needed comeback win in the final moments in New Orleans. Eagles football, ladies and gentlemen. Catch the fever!

After a tense back-and-forth, Jalen Carter had to be held back by Eagles coaches while jawing with Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu at the end of the game. Well, at least his team won, and he had a monster game.

It would look a lot differently if Philadelphia had lost and Carter was a no-show:

Best fan reaction with their pulse on their team: These two Eagles fans, who couldn't believe how inept the Eagles looked at times

Look, we've all been here. You question your football team's process. You wonder how the players and coaches manage to put on pants every day, let alone lead a single successful offensive possession, for example. And then you're at one of their games, hanging out with your buddy, pointedly discussing how your team disappoints you with the camera rolling.

In a way, these two passionate Eagles fans were living the dream. (Warning: NSFW message for lip-readers.)

Best (joke) game of tag: Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze while deciding who got to keep a milestone TD ball

It was another rough outing for the Chicago Bears on Sunday, as the lowly Indianapolis Colts pummeled Chicago enough to an uninspiring 21-16 win. But even while yet another defensive line teed off on Caleb Williams, there were enough bright spots to be optimistic about the No. 1 pick's future.

This lovely touchdown pass to fellow top rookie Rome Odunze at the end of the game was the brightest. It was officially Williams' first touchdown pass in the NFL and Odunze's first touchdown catch. Naturally, the two friends played a little game of tag as Odunze jokingly kept the milestone ball from Williams while they ran off the field.

We might be seeing this connection a lot in the years to come:

Most creative touchdown: This hook-and-ladder between Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs

The presumed NFC favorite Detroit Lions knew they'd have to bring their A-game to beat the upstart Arizona Cardinals on the road. They did that and then some, bringing the necessary amount of flair against an Arizona team that loves to live life on the edge.

We saw this on display when Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a basic slant and bravely tossed the ball to Jahmyr Gibbs for a perfect, wide-open, hook-and-ladder touchdown. That's just the way every high school coach across the country draws it up.

Most vicious stiff arm: Derrick Henry, on this brutal bruising run against the Dallas Cowboys

We thought Derrick Henry would be a revelation for the Baltimore Ravens' offense. We understood that he'd probably be a perfect fit for their standard power rushing attack. But there was always the question about whether the mileage on Henry's tire would catch up to the 30-year-old tailback.

For now, based on his absurd stiff arm in the open field against the Dallas Cowboys, I don't think we have to worry. Don't mess with Mack trucks like Henry (150-plus-yards rushing, two touchdowns), dearest readers:

Best "new QB" energy: Andy Dalton, in his first game in place of Bryce Young

Well, it sure looks like Bryce Young was the anchor holding the Panthers back. There is no reasonable conclusion other than seeing that the Panthers were so energized by Andy Dalton on Sunday that they wanted to make every single play for their new passer.

Folks, Dalton threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns against the Las Vegas Raiders. A veritable perfect game. Suddenly, I don't think the Panthers are that terrible, and I think he's perfectly suited to at least execute the Panthers' offense when he plays like this:

This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL Week 3 Awards: The Bears must fire Matt Eberflus sooner rather than later to protect Caleb Williams’ future