FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons announced Saturday that they have completed an interview with Matt Eberflus for their vacant defensive coordinator position.
The former Chicago Bears head coach is the seventh candidate to be interviewed for the position following the firing of Jimmy Lake earlier this offseason. Among the others who have been interviewed are Jeff Ulbrich, Don "Wink" Martindale, Lou Anarumo and Steve Wilks.
Here's what Falcons fans need to know about Eberflus.
Date of interview: Saturday, Jan. 18
Last stop: Head coach for the Chicago Bears
Resume highlights:
- Chicago Bears head coach, 2022-24: Eberflus was most recently the head coach of the Bears. He was fired the day after Thanksgiving, when Chicago lost to its division rival, the Detroit Lions, 23-20 and extended its losing streak to six games. In his three seasons leading the Bears, Eberflus compiled a 14-32 record.
- Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator, 2018-21: Prior to becoming Chicago's head coach, Eberflus spent four seasons as the Colts' defensive coordinator. Under his watch, Indianapolis consistently fielded one of the league's best run defense and ranked among the top 10 teams in turnovers forced in each of his four seasons.
- Missouri Tigers defensive coordinator, 2001-08: Prior to making the jump to the NFL as a linebackers coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2009, Eberflus cut his teeth at the college level as defensive coordinator for Missouri. A former Toledo linebacker who played for Nick Saban and Gary Pinkel, Eberflus was hired by the latter once he assumed the Tigers' top job. Eberflus built a well-respected defense in the offensive-oriented Big 12. Among the players he developed into NFL-caliber talents were safety William Moore and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who were both drafted by the Falcons.
Why he's a candidate: The NFL has proven time and again that the job of a head coach and coordinator are very different. Any failures at the top job do not preclude success for a return to one specific side of the ball.
However, those lessons learned can be valuable. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris knows that well, and there are examples throughout the league from Dan Quinn to Todd Bowles of coaches who rebounded quickly once they moved back to a coordinator role. As a defensive coordinator, Eberflus showed enough to earn him an opportunity in the first place.
In four seasons with Indianapolis, Eberflus' defense finished in the top 10 in points allowed three times. A disciple of the Tony Dungy coaching tree, Eberflus has historically employed a 4-3 look that relies on zone coverage, specifically versions of Tampa-2. While in Chicago, Eberflus spoke about his "HITS" principle as a basis of what he looks for from his players. "HITS" stands for hustle, intensity, takeaways and playing smart.
Strikes against: His recent firing from the Bears put a big spotlight on Eberflus, and not in a good way. The late-game clock management against the Lions was heavily covered in the new cycle and will likely follow him wherever he goes next. On top of that, he was not able to replicated the defensive success in Chicago that he had elsewhere. There were some individual standouts for the Bears, including Jaylon Johnson, T.J. Edwards and Montez Sweat, but the unit never coalesced into something more.
Despite earning respect for his demanding approach to defense and effort, his units have never truly been among the league's elite. They've been good, but they haven't been great. His work with the Colts was commendable because it took a unit that was among the very worst and made it a top 10 group. But the Falcons could have their sights set on more.
While the back-end philosophies of Eberflus with a reliance on two-high safeties and zone coverage may ultimately matter more for this hire, it must be mentioned that his 4-3 front concepts would be yet another switch for a defense that has had three of those in as many years. In the era of nickel defenses, that may not be a big deal, but it does impact the way a roster is constructed.
