Brown knows how to climb the corporate ladder. Just 17 days after being named as the Bears’ interim offensive coordinator following the firing of Shane Waldron, Brown is now poised to take over as the Bears’ interim head coach with Matt Eberflus now gone. In three games as the Bears offensive coordinator, Brown head the team averaging 22.0 points per game and 363.3 yards per game — both totals are above the team’s average for the season. He’ll now have five weeks to show what he can do as a head coach, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bears fully gut the operation and rebuild its staff from the ground up.

Eberflus becomes the first head coach in the Bears’ 100-plus year history to be fired mid-season. Less than two hours after saying he was confident he would be coaching the Bears in Week 14’s game against the 49ers, the organization has decided to pull the plug on the embattled head coach after another underwhelming season. Thursday’s clock management gaffe may have been the final straw for Eberflus, who was already on the hot seat to start the season. A former defensive coordinator turned head coach in 2022, the Bears’ defense showed steady improvement under Eberflus’ watch, and currently ranks ninth in points allowed per game. Unfortunately, the team never figured out it’s offensive identity, ranking 20th or worse in yards per game in each of the last three seasons. The hiring and firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron in the same season was another indictment on Eberflus’ inability to get the right people in the building to propel the Bears into the right direction. Eberflus leaves the Bears with a 14-32 record while in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will now takeover as the Bears’ interim head coach for the remaining five weeks of the season, as the team prepares for yet another head coaching search this offseason.

Johnson was seen in the locker room throwing his shoes in frustration. The reason as to why was a mystery to reporters after Thursday’s loss to the Cowboys, but Daboll offered some clarity on that with Friday’s injury announcement. The rookie tight end caught five passes for 54 yards in the defeat, and has a receiving line of 39-331-1 on the year. Giants’ beat writer Art Stapleton said “Daboll does not sound optimistic” bout Johnson returning this season, but further tests will confirm that in the coming days.

Lawrence suffered a dislocated elbow in the Giants’ Week 13 loss to the Cowboys. While that’s not always a season-ending injury, Lawrence’s injury comes with just five weeks left in what is a lost season for the Giants. One of the few bright spots on the Giants’ roster, Lawrence has totaled 44 tackles, nine sacks, and eight TFLs this season. It’s unlikely we see him play another down for the Giants in 2024.

Lamb suffered a shoulder injury in Thursday’s win over the Giants and did not play in the second half. With the Cowboys’ next game set for December 9th, Jones believes Lamb will have ample time to recover and play next Monday against the Bengals. Lamb has battled through a handful of injuries this season and has not missed a game. Lamb’s toughness has never been in doubt, but depending on how things shape up in the coming days, we shouldn’t assume the Cowboys would force the star receiver to play in what is a near meaningless game at this point in the season. We’ll see where things stand when the team releases its first injury report for the week on Thursday.

Milano has been a full participant in both practices to open the week and will presumably be a full participant again in Friday’s practice. The star linebacker suffered a torn biceps in training camp and has been working his way back to the field ever since. A full week of practice suggests he’s ready to go, but the Bills could delay his delay his return by another week if they wanted to take a more cautious approach.

Lawrence suffered a significant AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder in Week 9 and was considering surgery as recently as Wednesday. While that option may still be on the table, Pederson said Lawrence “had a good week” of practice and said “as of right now” he would expect Lawerence to play. His return would provide an immediate boost to rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., whose big play ability has been limited with Mac Jones under center. Lawrence should be viewed no higher than a mid-QB2 in his return.

It’s a tough blow to the Lions and Rodriguez, who battled his way into a key role as a rookie in 2022 after being selected by the team in the sixth round. Rodriguez exited in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game against the Bears and didn’t return to the field, but is now out for the season. The third-year linebacker has started in six of the 10 games he’s appeared in this season, racking up 43 tackles, two sacks, and two TFLs. His absence will be a notable one on a Lions defense that’s been dealt several blows this season.

Kincaid will miss his second-straight game with the knee injury he suffered in Week 10 against the Colts. Even after the team’s Week 12 bye, the second-year tight end is still on the mend and will now target a Week 14 return against the Rams. With Kincaid out, Dawson Knox becomes a top-12 play and should be on the streaming radar for any team in need of help at the position.

Firing Eberflus mid-season won’t turn around a season that has gone awry for the Bears since their bye week, but it’s a move that most feel could come at any time. Thursday’s clock management gaffe is just the latest in a number of indictments that have built against Eberflus’ coaching acumen over the years, and will be remembered as one of his more infamous moments when he is inevitably let go by the team. Firing Eberflus in mid-season would be more about sending a message than giving the team a tactical advantage over the final five weeks of the season, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if he remained with the team until season’s end.