Hub Arkush: While Matt Nagy often obsessed about his offense, Matt Eberflus wants to coach all 53

INDIANAPOLIS – There is little debate the lion’s share of responsibility for the Bears’ meager three playoff appearances and one playoff victory since their trip to Super Bowl XLI 15 years ago falls far more on the offense than the defense.

On average, over those 15 seasons the Bears have been 24th in the NFL in total offense, 20th in points scored, and that doesn’t tell the whole story.

They have finished better than 24th in total offense just five times, 26th or worse seven times, and they’ve been in the top half of the league just twice – barely at 15th in 2016 and eighth in 2013.

The Bears have been in the top half of the league in scoring only four times in those 15 seasons, including just 16th in 2012 and 15th in 2008, and in the top 10 just twice.

It is why the hiring of Matt Nagy was so heralded in 2018 and why even after his disappointing four-year run so many longed so loudly for the next latest and greatest offensive guru as the new head coach.

Clearly that isn’t career defensive specialist Matt Eberflus, but he did his best this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this to assure fans it doesn’t mean the offense will continue to suffer.

[ The Bears are busy trying to build an offense. Here’s how Matt Eberflus might influence it ]

He thinks he may have as much to offer his new offensive staff as they’ll be expected to bring to the table.

“I think it’s a dual education,” Eberflus said. “So when we’re sitting there in the quarterback room when they get back in the building, I’m going to be able to impart some knowledge there in terms of what they’re trying to do defensively. Not only what the scheme looks like, actually what the techniques are and how you’re going to take advantage of those techniques.”

Eberflus told us Tuesday how well you can teach will be the difference in his Bears more than which side of the ball you’re on or come from.

“In all the staff members and the coaches in particular, they’re always, everybody’s going to be a leader at some point and everybody needs to follow at some point,” Eberflus said. “We certainly wanted to look at those attributes and one of those is being a teacher. Being a teacher in our system, it doesn’t matter offense, defense or kicking, that’s the first quality we looked for.

“Because if you can’t take your message from the board and put it onto the players and then take it to the field, that’s what we want to have with each guy.”

Eberflus also knows no one will be upset if the Bears win again with defense.

In the Bears’ 2010 trip to the NFC title game under Lovie Smith, they finished the season just 30th in total offense and 21st in points scored.

There’s no question about Eberflus’ credentials on the defensive side of the ball, and he thinks he’s already got some really nice pieces to build around.

“I don’t want to talk about certain players right now,” Eberflus said. “But, yeah, we have pieces in there for sure that fit that mold of loving football and playing really hard.”

In the month since he got to Chicago, Eberflus has studied the entire roster he’s inheriting and said he’s far more concerned with who they can become than who they’ve been to date.

“Certainly, we’ve looked at them for what they did last year and the previous years and all of those things, but I think (for) a lot of the guys this is a clean slate for them,” Eberflus said. “We’re starting new and I told a lot of the guys, ‘Hey, you’re walking on fresh grass here. This is a new staff. New systems. You have to learn it.’

“It’s gonna be a little bit different for them, but refreshing.”

At the end of the day, Eberflus seems to clearly understand job No. 1 is be developing Justin Fields and bringing his offense out of the dark ages, but he will ultimately be judged on wins and losses and winning in January and February, regardless of how he gets it done.