Full Falcons interview with Matt Eberflus

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 job following the firing of Jimmy Lake earlier this offseason. Others interviewed include Jeff Ulbrich, Don “Wink” Martindale, Lou Anarumo and Steve Wilks.

TRACKER: The latest on Atlanta’s defensive coordinator search

Here’s what Falcons fans need to know about Eberflus.

Date of interview: Saturday January 18

Last stop: Head coach of the Chicago Bears

• 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 Detroit Lions, 23-20 and extended its losing streak to six games. In his three seasons at the helm of the Bears, Eberflus compiled a 14-32 record.

• Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator, 2018-21: Before becoming Chicago’s head coach, Eberflus spent four seasons as the Colts’ defensive coordinator. Under his leadership, Indianapolis consistently fielded one of the league’s best run defenses and ranked among the top 10 teams in forced turnovers in each of his four seasons.

• Missouri Tigers defensive coordinator, 2001-08: Before making the jump to the NFL as the Cleveland Browns’ linebackers coach in 2009, Eberflus cut his teeth at the college level as Missouri’s defensive coordinator. 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 has 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, both of whom were drafted by the Falcons.

Why he is a candidate: The NFL has proven time and time again that the jobs of a head coach and a coordinator are very different. Any failure at the top position does not preclude the success of a return on a specific side of the ball.

However, the lessons learned can be valuable. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris knows this well, and there are examples across the league, from Dan Quinn to Todd Bowles, of coaches who bounced back quickly once returned to the coordinator role. As a defensive coordinator, Eberflus showed enough to earn him an opportunity in the first place.

In four seasons in Indianapolis, Eberflus’ defense finished in the top 10 in points allowed three times. A disciple of Tony Dungy’s coaching tree, Eberflus has historically used a 4-3 look that relies on zone coverage, particularly the Tampa-2 versions. In Chicago, Eberflus talked about his “HITS” principle as the basis for what he expects from his players. “HITS” is all about hustle, intensity, takeaways and smart play.

Strikes against: His recent firing from the Bears put Eberflus in the spotlight, and not in a good way. Clock management late in the game against the Lions has been covered extensively in the new cycle and will likely follow him wherever he goes next. On top of that, he was unable to replicate the defensive success in Chicago that he experienced elsewhere. There were some standout individuals for the Bears, including Jaylon Johnson, TJ Edwards and Montez Sweat, but the unit never coalesced into something more.

Despite the respect he commands 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 worst and made them a top 10 group. But the Falcons could aim for more.

While Eberflus’ back-end philosophies, which rely on two high safeties and zone coverage, may ultimately matter more to this hire, it should be mentioned that his front 4-3 concepts would be yet another change for a defense that has had three of these in as many years. In the era of nickel defenses, that may not be a big deal, but it does impact how a roster is constructed.