Bears' baffling decision comes back to haunt them against Broncos

The decision to go for it on fourth down instead of taking the lead on a chip shot field goal was absurd at the moment, and analytics confirmed it was the wrong decision. 

Chicago had a chance to take the lead and put pressure on Denver's offense to score but let the Broncos off the hook by compounding the already poor decision to go for it by electing to take the ball out of Justin Fields' hands for the pivotal fourth down.

The embattled Bears quarterback had his best game as a pro, going 28-of-35 for 335 yards, four touchdowns and a late interception to thwart Chicago's comeback attempt. 

He also lost a fumble on a sack, but he had diced the Broncos defense all game. Fields needed to be the person with the ball in his hands to make the most out of a questionable decision.

As a defensive-minded head coach, Eberflus should have been able to kick the field goal and trust his defense to hold Denver's offense. At the very worst, the game would have gone to overtime if the Broncos got into field goal range.

It must be getting more challenging by the day for the Bears to justify retaining Eberflus when his defense in Chicago has routinely been the worst in the league. 

Per OptaStats, the Bears are the first time in NFL history to allow 25 points or more in 14 consecutive games, dating back to last year.

As big of a mess as Chicago's defense is, Eberflus's decision-making deserves criticism, too. How much longer until the Bears say enough is enough?