LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Matt Eberflus holds a captain’s meeting with Bears team leaders each week. They vary in length and tone depending on the context surrounding that point in the season.

Following the brutal loss to Washington on a Hail Mary and its fallout, the leadership council had some stuff to work out.

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“We just had a grown man talk and we all sat in there and went back and forth, no raising voices or anything, nothing like that, just real talk,” quarterback Caleb Williams said. “We want to win. That’s simple. Obviously, the coaches do, (Eberflus) does, we all do. Just being able to come together and find ways to do that is typically how those meetings go.”

Eberflus thought the meeting went well and was constructive for all parties.

“Yeah, I trust those guys. I believe in those guys,” he said. “We had great conversations this morning. Those guys have done a great job of leading this team, and they’re going to continue to do it this week, leading from the inside out. I talked about leading from the front, and all eight of those guys are great leaders. And to me, that was the main conversation this morning. “

The players on this team have a strong, loud voice. Eberflus encourages it. That has been clear all season, especially in times of crisis.

Evidence of that is in the aftermath of the loss to Indianapolis, when players demanded to be coached harder, and then aired that concern publicly. They told coaches what they needed to be successful, and it got through to those calling plays and running practices. Then the Bears ripped off a three-game win streak with each victory by multiple scores.

While that’s not the only reason why the Bears went on a run, it was a factor.

Now Chicago’s at another crisis point following the disaster in the nation’s capital, and most of it centers around accountability.

Accountability for Tyrique Stevenson’s lapse on the Hail Mary. Accountability among players and coaches for mistakes that cost the Bears a game. Accountability for airing criticism of coaching decisions publicly, as three captains did in media appearances this week.

Outside perception is that there isn’t enough. It’s uncertain if Stevenson will receive a punishment for his actions versus Washington. Eberflus defended his decisions at the end of the game that contributed to the Week 8 loss, though he said Wednesday that issues with the Bears “starts with me.”

Eberflus pushed back on that notion, saying there is a high level accountability within the team.

“There is accountability here and we hold each other accountable to it,” he said. “That’s what I know in the building. Perceptions are what they are, and I appreciate your question but, in the building, we hold each other accountable and it’s about our circle and the men in the building.”

Eberflus encourages open communication, even if it’s critical. The players here have used candor while respectfully expressing what needs to improve and change.

“I mean it’s good because we really want it to be a player-led team and that we do a good job of holding everybody accountable,” receiver DJ Moore said. “That’s the main thing.”

Moore said that airing criticism of coaching decisions – he, Jaylon Johnson and Kevin Byard all did so in media appearances this week – was addressed in the captain’s meeting and that those types of comments are preferably kept private.

Strong voices in the locker room have represented the team well to this point. The Bears have eight captains and most all of them have addressed the issues the team is going through right now. This group is committed, heavily invested in creating positive outcomes. Moore said that no major decision is made without discussing it with the council.

One normally associates coaches as team leaders. The players have a strong say here, though, and all consider that a good thing.

“The better teams I’ve been on, the players lead,” Williams said. “That’s what we have here. Something I go by myself is that okay teams: nobody leads, good teams: the coaches lead and great teams: the players lead.”

Williams also said that each individual must look inward over pointing fingers, and that the communication between players and coaches must continue to improve. The team compiled an after-action report on what went wrong in Washington, like it does after every game, and it’ll be used to improve for the future.

The next step is moving forward.

Eberflus didn’t want to address questions about specifics about the Washington, trying to turn the page toward the next game against Arizona. The goal now is to not let the Week 8 heartbreak impact a second game. That’s why the need to win is sky high.

“We’re not at a point to where we can let games like that go,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “ I mean it can easily go from … it could have went to 5-2 and now we’re in a position at 4-3, we’re fighting to stay above .500. So I mean, like I said, nothing really is solidified.

“There’s always a sense of urgency. I mean, we can win three in a row; you can lose three in a row. Every week is different. Every situation is not to be taken lightly. So, I mean, just for me for the team, I mean, every week is a great opportunity to win and we can’t let them through our hands.”

Letting the Commanders game slip away the way it did has created a firestorm of criticism, with Eberflus at the center of it. The players who lead this team have again been vocal are determined to get back on the right track.

“Everything’s exploding on the outside and we have to control what we can control, control everything in the interior in here and we’ve got to focus on going out here and winning this game that we have now,” Williams said. “We had our 24-hour period to feel how we felt and things like that, but we’ve got to move on.”

It will be a test of the team’s culture, how they work during the week to respond well on the field in Arizona.

“Yeah, because now you really get to see if we can bounce back and really stay together,” Moore said. “That’s the biggest thing.”