The Chicago Bears’ last-second Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders was disappointing enough, but the fallout has only intensified the embarrassment. Jayden Daniels’ walk-off Hail Mary touchdown left fans and analysts alike critiquing Matt Eberflus, and Chicago’s head coach hasn’t helped his case with some puzzling comments.
Eberflus stood by offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s decision to give offensive lineman Doug Kramer his first-ever NFL carry on a crucial third-and-goal from the Commanders’ one-yard line with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, as the Bears trailed 12-7. The play backfired disastrously.
Rather than letting the moment fade, Waldron defended his call. “I felt confident in the call at that moment, but it didn’t work out,” Chicago’s rookie OC told reporters on Thursday, per WGNTV’s Kaitlin Sharkey on X, saying that while the handoff wasn’t clean, he stands by his decision.
At Washington’s one-yard line, Waldron’s play was risky, with Kramer positioned as a fullback and Roschon Johnson at tailback. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams attempted a quick handoff to the up-back, hoping to surprise Washington. Instead, Kramer lost the ball, allowing the Commanders to recover.
Bears OC Shane Waldron refuses to move on from Week 8 blunder
To clarify, Kramer never fully secured the ball as it slipped away during the handoff, so the fumble was officially credited to Williams. However, Kramer, a 300-pound offensive lineman, has no actual experience carrying the ball in games, so the mishap likely falls on him—or, more precisely, on Waldron for setting him up in that situation.
Although the Bears coaching staff assured reporters that they had practiced using Kramer as a short-yardage ball carrier, attempting it late in the fourth quarter in a tight road game was a questionable call.
This choice is even more baffling when considering that the Bears had D’Andre Swift, Johnson, and Williams available. Swift had shredded the Commanders in Week 8 with 129 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Williams added 47 yards on nine rushes, and Johnson, a powerful 225-pound back, had scored four touchdowns this season on only 32 carries.
Later, on another drive from the Commanders’ one-yard line, the Bears made the sensible call, handing the ball to Johnson, who scored the go-ahead touchdown.
Even with a three-point lead and under 30 seconds remaining, the Bears managed to lose. Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on a sideline route, setting up a last-ditch Hail Mary attempt from midfield after the clock stopped. Following the crushing loss, Eberflus dismissed that play as irrelevant.
The Bears’ third-year coach made multiple questionable decisions in Week 8, leaving Chicago at 4-3 and last in a tough division. They’ll now aim to regroup against the 4-4 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
