When the Bears looked lifeless in the first half of their Thanksgiving game in Chicago, I made a mental note to post something after the game about whether the Bears would be firing their head coach during the season for the first time in franchise history.

When the Bears got out of the situation in the second half, I deleted the mental note.

Then the end came. With 46 seconds left in the game, the Bears had the ball on first and 10 from the Detroit 25. The Lions led 23-20.

And Chicago was running out of time. With a time out still in hand.

It was the ultimate NFL WTF moment.

Fast forward to second-and-20 from the Detroit 35. The Bears trailed by three timeouts. Detroit sacked quarterback Caleb Williams, pushing Chicago back to the Detroit 41.

At the time of the sack there were more than 30 seconds left.

The approach was simple, or should have been. Make a play designed to make the field goal shorter than 59 yards, call a timeout, and shoot the field goal that, if successful, would send the game into overtime.

But something happened. More importantly, nothing happened. The Bears didn’t rush to the finish line. They didn’t get a play with time to gain yardage and call a timeout. Instead, Caleb Williams started the game with six seconds left. When his throw landed incomplete at five, the game was over.

It’s inexcusable. It is a criminal offense. And it is the third defeat this year that can be directly attributed to the coaching staff.

First, the Hail Mary disaster in Washington. Second, the blocked field goal against the Packers. Three, today.

Will that be enough to get the Bears to fire Eberflus? His fate seems to be sealed after the end of the season. The question is whether they will do it tomorrow.

If they do that, the Bears will be writing the wrong story – even though it might be the right thing.