LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus met with the team’s offensive coaches on Monday to provide insight on the next opponent.

That seems a bit odd on the surface but made perfect sense in this instance. Eberflus, after all, knows the Bears well.

He was their head coach for most of three seasons, before being fired on Black Friday during a tumultuous campaign that was his last.

Eberflus will make his return to Chicago for Sunday afternoon’s game between the Bears and Cowboys at Soldier Field.

He refused to fuel the storyline during a Thursday press conference, doing everything possible to throw a wet blanket over it. Despite pointed questions about his experience as Bears head coach, every response was generalized.

This was about the only thing he specifically said about his time in Chicago.

“I really cherished the whole time I was there,” Eberflus said, “and the whole coaching experience.”

He stuck to talking points at every turn and took emotion out of it.

Are you dreading this week?

“I look at it as one opportunity for us to go out there and really execute. It’s Game 3.”

What do you think (the crowd’s) reaction will be on Sunday?

“I haven’t thought about it.”

Several Bears players were asked about seeing Eberflus again on Sunday. It didn’t draw much of a reaction, either. That’s no shock, considering how unpopular he was in the locker room.

The real impact of Eberflus’ return will come from familiarity. Eberflus shared his insights with Cowboys coaches. He has plenty on Bears players, including quarterback Caleb Williams.

That said, it works both ways. The Bears offense worked against his defensive scheme each day in practice and understands its ins and outs.

Head coach Ben Johnson also knows Eberflus’ scheme well after facing it twice a year as Lions offensive coordinator.

How tendencies are exploited and how coaches play off of them will be a factor in this outcome.

“He might throw a lot of curveballs at us,” receiver DJ Moore said. “Knowing him, he’ll do the zone concepts so we’re gonna see a bunch of that, hopefully. Hopefully they’ll throw some man in there so we can go after them.”

Williams hopes all his time practicing against Eberflus’ defense will help him finding holes within it. That was Williams’ focus over any discussion of his time working with the first head coach of his NFL career.

“I’ve played a bunch of ball versus that defense and kind of how he runs it, so it’s interesting in a way,” Williams said. “Obviously, Matt was my coach obviously last year. So. Just being able to move past all of that and be able to go out there and help the Chicago Bears be 1-0 this week.”