Bears Coach Matt Eberflus Puts Down the Gloves

Getty

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus had strong words for his new players.

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus doesn’t mess around.

In an interview with CHGO Sports’ Adam Hoge, Eberflus discussed his HITS principle, which is the philosophy he will try to instill in his new team. HITS is an acronym for: Hustle, Intensity, Takeaways and (plays) Situational Intelligent Football.

The New Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams explained how the team plans to use this philosophy, which Eberflus also carried out during his four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.

“When you talk about a standard and meet that standard and then be able to watch a movie and score that standard and keep people to the standard, the HITS philosophy is a great way to be able to measure it, ” Williams told senior Bears writer Larry Mayer. “So with the hustle, the intensity, the points to keep in mind and the smart play, we have a way to judge ourselves from game to game or season to season in terms of job, ‘Are we making progress or are we falling? ‘”

Hoge asked the Bears head coach what might happen if the team’s players indulged in the new philosophy, and Eberflus had some comments to say.

ALL the latest Bears news to your inbox! Register with The Heavy on Bears newsletter is here!

Join Heavy on Bears!

Eberflus throws down the Gauntlet

When Hoge asked if it was fair to wonder if some players might not be buying into the new system he’s rolling out, Eberflus was blunt:

Yeah, I mean, we’ve done this three times already so it’s not like we’ve never done it before. This is the first time doing it with an entire team, but we know it works. We know what the standards are. We have purchased coaches that will implement a player-by-player system. And sure, it’s not for everyone. It just doesn’t. I said it (at the Combine), really two things: Do guys love football? They will show that on tape. And are they willing to work hard? And are they willing to push themselves to a new frontier that they haven’t reached before? And if you have that, all will be well. Surely there will be guys who won’t buy it. That’s OK. It’s not for everyone. Maybe you need another team.

Maybe you need another team. That is a strong statement. Obviously, the bears are changing.

According to Heavy on the Bears . Facebook pagewhere you can review all the latest breaking news, rumors, Bears related content and more!

Eberflus encourages openness with its players

The Bears were the 12th most penalized team in the NFL last year under former head coach Matt Nagy, who was often criticized for his undisciplined teams. Eberflus plans to change that through hard work and open, honest communication.

“It’s one of the most important things that Ryan and I are doing. And the way you do that is you allow the boys to have a say and they can speak their mind about a player and you listen,” Eberflus told Mayer on March 3.

“A lot of times leadership won’t let you do that,” he continued. “You start voicing your opinion and then suddenly they shut you down with a comment or whatever. We are all part of that. But we don’t want that. We want guys to be able to voice their opinions, feel like their voices are being heard, and that’s going to happen. We value their opinion.”

It is clear that Eberflus wants to listen to his players, but it is clear that he will push them. Time will tell whether he succeeds or not.

CONTINUE READING: Bears Brings Back 3 Main Free Dealers, Including Beginners 2021