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In the aftermath of a disheartening Thanksgiving Day defeat at the hands of the Detroit Lions, the Chicago Bears decided to part ways with head coach Matt Eberflus. His poor clock management in the closing moments of the game, coupled with rising player frustration, marked the end of his tenure. Despite Eberflus's confidence in his job security earlier that day, the organization chose to act swiftly, announcing his dismissal on Friday.

The final sequence of the game revealed a lack of strategic clarity. With the Bears trailing by three points and just 33 seconds left on the clock, Chicago found itself on the Lions' 41-yard line. When quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked, pushing the Bears out of field goal range, Eberflus baffled both players and spectators by not using the team's remaining timeout. Instead, the clock continued to run down to roughly seven seconds before a desperate, incomplete deep pass attempt.

In the locker room, frustration reached a boiling point. A report by The Athletic, sourced from journalists Dianna Russini and Adam Jahns, described the scene as "ugly." Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson was notably vocal, confronting Eberflus and demanding answers for the mismanagement. Johnson wasn't alone; several other players echoed his sentiments, expressing their exasperation over repeated costly time management errors.

"We felt as players it's been too many instances where we fought our way back into games to lose because of bad time management and decision-making," an unnamed player shared with The Athletic.

Bears ownership empathized with the players' concerns, making the unprecedented decision to fire a coach mid-season – a first in the franchise's 104-year history. Thomas Brown, the interim offensive coordinator who stepped in for Shane Waldron, was named the interim head coach.

Brown will lead the Bears, who currently hold a 4-8 record, as they prepare to face the San Francisco 49ers, who stand at 5-6, in an upcoming Week 14 matchup.