
With 24 points in a pair of losses since the bye week, Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus expected to field questions about his offensive play-caller.
But the Bears (4-4) are not planning a change at offensive coordinator or taking any responsibility from first-year play-caller Shane Waldron.
"Changes we're going to make is we're going to look inward and make sure we do a good job of utilizing our talents and our skill and really just general, basic execution of our plan," Eberflus said Monday. "And we have to make sure we're doing that going forward, and we'll put that plan into place here in the next 48 hours."
Waldron was offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks last season and was hired from a pool of candidates that included current Washington Commanders play-caller Kliff Kingsbury. Waldron replaced fired coordinator Luke Getsy in Chicago; Getsy was fired by the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday.
The Bears scored five touchdowns in their win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London before the bye week. After going scoreless in the first half at Washington, the Bears had three scoreless quarters and didn't reach the end zone on Sunday at Arizona in a 29-9 loss.
Eberflus said rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was still in that game in the final minute because his team is always going to fight to the end. Williams suffered an ankle injury and was sacked six times.
"We're sitting at 4-4. Right now that's where we are and it's important that we focus on this week. That's all we can control and doing a better job of putting our guys in position as coaches to be successful, and that's ultimately my job and the coordinator's job secondly," Eberflus said. "So it's important that we do a great job of that with the position coaches, partnering up with players and putting those guys in position to succeed."
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With Aaron Rodgers dealing with a left wrist injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers worked out veteran quarterbacks Jason Bean and Tanner Mordecai on Tuesday, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The Steelers currently have three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster and zero on their practice squad. Backup Mason Rudolph, and third-stringer Will Howard will both move up a spot on the depth chart for at least a week, leaving the Steelers without a third option should either of them get injured. Bean, 26, signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Kansas in 2024. He did not make the 53-man roster, but stuck around on the practice squad for the entire season. He was waived during final roster cuts this year and did not draw practice squad interest from the Colts or any other team. Mordecai is also a 26-year-old who entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2024. Mordecai finished his college career at Wisconsin and signed with the 49ers last spring. He spent the season on San Francisco’s practice squad and was repeatedly cut and re-signed during training camp as the team balanced their other roster needs. He was waived due to injury a final time during roster cuts. The Steelers did not sign Bean or Mordecai, though that could be coming in the next few days as they continue to assess Rodgers’ wrist. They could also work out other available quarterbacks later this week.
The Ole Miss Rebels reportedly gave head coach Lane Kiffin a deadline of Nov. 28 to decide whether he wants to stay with the school. That was news to him. On Tuesday, Kiffin joined "The Pat McAfee Show" to discuss his future. The coach is widely considered a top candidate for the head-coaching jobs with the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators. He denied that Ole Miss gave him an ultimatum, which Stewart Mandel of The Athletic first reported. Lane Kiffin calls report false "That's absolutely not true," Kiffin said. "There hasn't been anything like that at all. And so, I don't know where that came from, like a lot of stuff that comes out there." After denying the report, Kiffin reiterated how much he loves Oxford and said he's ecstatic the team is in the thick of the College Football Playoff Hunt. As of Tuesday, ESPN's Football Power Index gives the 10-1 Rebels an 89.1% chance to make the CFP, the third-best odds in the SEC behind the Georgia Bulldogs (9-1) and Texas A M Aggies (10-0). "Like I said, man, we're having a blast," he said. "It just couldn't be better. Like I said, you pray for things. Our fans prayed for this type of thing, and now we're in the middle of it. So, enjoy it." Is Lane Kiffin telling the truth? While the school may not have issued an ultimatum, ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported that Ole Miss is "pressing" Kiffin and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, to inform the school of his decision soon. Schlabach added that Rebels athletic director Keith Carter wants to know his plans by this upcoming weekend. Kiffin may be able to provide an answer soon. He has reportedly met with Florida and LSU. Kiffin may ultimately stay with Ole Miss, where he has compiled a 54-19 record in six seasons. He's already making $9M this season, and the Rebels are reportedly willing to match contract offers from LSU and Florida. Still, Kiffin should make it clear what he wants to do soon. The Rebels host the Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-6) in the Egg Bowl on Nov. 28. He doesn't want rumors about his future to distract his team, especially when it can get even closer to securing the school's first CFP berth in the upcoming rivalry game.
Steve Spurrier is a legend for the Florida Gators. Known as "the head ball coach" down in SEC-land, Spurrier was a star both as a player and as a coach for Florida. Heck, the dang field in Gainesville is named after him. That means what he says about the Florida program carries a lot of weight, and he recently revealed that he believes there are only two people who would live up to the expectations and be a great fit for the Gators as they look to replace fired head coach Billy Napier sooner rather than later. “I know Lane Kiffin and I know Eli Drinkwitz,” Spurrier recently said, according to Daniel Hager of On3. “Obviously, either one of those guys would be super if it works out. But, it’s a long way from whoever we’re going to get as our coach right now.” The Gators are currently making a full-court press for Lane Kiffin, but they're not alone in their pursuit in the Ole Miss head coach. While the Gators reportedly flew members of Kiffin's family down to Gainesville to check things out recently, the LSU Tigers also pulled the same trick — hoping to get Kiffin to ultimatly come down to Baton Rouge. LSU is probably Florida's biggest competitor for Kiffin right now, but there's also Ole Miss to consider. It's not like the Rebels are going to let a coach who has led them to a 54-19 record over the past six seasons go without a fight. Kiffin would absolutely be a home-run hire for the Gators, though. He's a high-level recruiter and a high-level offensive mind in the SEC. Those are two things that the Gators desperately need in the wake of the middling Napier era. Not only that, but Kiffin has ties to the state. He was the head coach at Florida Atlantic from 2017-19. Eli Drinkwitz an interesting option for Florida if it can't land Lane Kiffin Drinkwitz is another interesting option, though. You'll also notice that there's a trend here for Florida, and that's going after established SEC head coaches. Napier had come from the Sun Belt conference. Drinkwitz has made Missouri a tough out in the SEC and he's won a ton of football games. His overall record at Mizzou is 45-27, though his record in big games does leave a little to be desired. He's 7-14 against ranked opponents and 0-7 against top-10 teams. Still, Drinkwitz is a young coach at just 42, so the upside is there. He's a big personality who does well on the recruiting trail, and he could do a lot of good things with the firepower of the Florida Gators behind him. There are other options out there for Florida. Washington head coach Jedd Fisch is a Florida alumnus, for instance. If Spurrier has narrowed it down to Kiffin and Drinkwitz in his mind, though, you can bet those in power at Florida are likely thinking the same thing.
Scott McTominay’s reinvention since leaving Manchester United has been one of the major stories of the last 18 months in European football. The midfielder has managed, in a single season, to transform himself into the driving force of the Napoli side that went on to win Serie A and restore their status among Italy’s elite. Having swapped Old Trafford for the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in 2024, he quickly became a focal point in Antonio Conte’s system and finished his debut campaign as the league’s Most Valuable Player after steering Napoli to the title. McTominay made 36 appearances for Napoli in 2024/25, scoring 13 goals and registering four assists, comfortably the best return of his senior career, sealing a Ballon d’Or nomination. However, this season has been more challenging for the Scotland international. Opposition sides have clearly adjusted to his late runs and aerial presence, while Napoli themselves have not found the same rhythm. McTominay has still chipped in with goals, but with only a handful of strikes so far and more time spent shuttling between roles than dominating games. Unfortunately it seems the form that lit up Italy has been harder to rediscover, a trend that had also been visible with Scotland after Euro 2024. That backdrop is what made Tuesday night at Hampden so significant. With Scotland needing to beat Denmark to leapfrog them and reach the 2026 World Cup, Steve Clarke’s side arrived into a tense, almost wary atmosphere. However, Scott McTominay took matters into his own hands, opening the scoring inside three minutes. Attacking a cross from Ben Gannon-Doak, the former United midfielder adjusted his body and sent an acrobatic overhead effort skidding into the bottom corner. The finish instantly shifted the mood inside Hampden and reminded everyone why Napoli built their title-winning midfield around him. He raced towards the main stand, arms outstretched, as team-mates piled in behind him and the stadium erupted. The Herald’s reaction to the goal described it as a goal: “which will live long in the memory of everyone who was fortunate enough to witness it”. However, from there, Scotland were forced to suffer. A lengthy VAR check eventually handed Denmark a penalty, converted by Rasmus Hojlund, before the visitors went down to ten men and the game descended into chaos. Lawrence Shankland, Patrick Dorgu, Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean traded goals in a breathless finale that finally ended 4-2 to Clarke’s side. For Scotland, the result ends 28 years of waiting and confirms their place at a World Cup finals for the first time since 1998, with Clarke writing himself into national folklore. For Scott McTominay, it is another landmark in a career that, unfortunately for Manchester United fans, has accelerated since leaving Old Trafford.
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