Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams remains away from the team for personal reasons and will not travel to Tampa, Fla., for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. Matt Eberflus said after Friday’s practice he will assume defensive play-calling duties in Williams’ absence.

Eberflus also wasn’t able to offer a time frame for Williams’ return but said it should be comfortable for him to take over coordinating duties in the interim.

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“I’ve done it for 12 years total,” Eberflus said. “Really it’s more about the operation of the game management side of it.”

Eberflus was asked about the decision to take on added game-day responsibility rather than hand Williams’ duties off to another of his defensive assistants.

“It’s just what’s best for us,” he said. “We just think that’s the best way to go for our defense and really for our football team. That’s why we made that decision.”

The Bears are coming off a 38-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in Week 1, a game in which the defense had only one sack and failed to force a turnover. The Packers scored three touchdowns on their first four possessions after halftime to pull away.

During the Bears’ 11-game losing streak, they are allowing an average of 33.5 points and 400.8 yards per game.

A defensive resurgence is needed. And soon.

It will have to come without nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, who was placed on injured reserve Thursday with a broken hand. Eberflus said Gordon had surgery on the hand this week but expressed optimism the second-year cornerback could be back in the mix in Week 6 when the Bears are preparing to host the Minnesota Vikings.

Safety Jaquan Brisker said Friday that he expected the defense to experience a smooth transition with Williams away and Eberflus manning the controls this weekend.

“I anticipate the play calls being more balanced and leaning toward more aggressive,” Brisker said. “It’s his defense. So (I expect) more energy and a lot of focus.”

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With Williams away from the team, the preparation dynamics have been altered throughout the week.

“Like I said with us losing (Kyler), it’s next man up. Now it’s next coach up,” Brisker said. “That’s Coach Flus. This is his defense. So he’s comfortable. He knows what he’s doing. He has us ready to go on Sunday. I feel like you’re going to see a pretty different defense on Sunday.”

Eberflus praised cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke and safeties coach Andre Curtis for their experience and noted his seven seasons coaching with linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi in Indianapolis and Dallas.

“They know how I like to operate,” Eberflus said. “They know how it is when I am calling the plays and running that side. So it’ll be good.”