It was the highly-anticipated rematch every Chicago Bears fan had been waiting for. On Monday Night Football, the Bears would take on the Washington Commanders in the sequel to last year's "Fail Mary."
After coming out to a hot 13-0 lead, though, the Bears ended up falling behind 24-16 and faced some serious adversity, on the road, and in the rain.
When it was all said and done, however, the Bears pulled out a last-second win thanks to a 38-yard field goal by recently-signed kicker, Jake Moody. Immediately following what was a rollercoaster of a game, Monday Night Football's Troy Aikman summed it up perfectly for Bears fans on the live broadcast:
"Whoever didn't win this game was going to walk off this field thinking of all the opportunities they left out here and failed to make."
Troy Aikman said what every Bears fan was thinking late in the game against Washington
There are countless storylines to be had after this one. A big talking point could be how the officials were downright horrendous. There were several missed calls which made many Bears fans feel like the crew was trying their best to hand this game to Washington.
But, there were also some big-time missed opportunities by both teams. And, maybe the game's most controversial example came on a would-be touchdown reception by Rome Odunze.
Following a perfectly-placed ball, in the end zone, by Caleb Williams, Odunze turned to make a spectacular grab. Yet, offensive tackle Theo Benedet was called for illegal formation as he was not on the line of scrimmage -- at least that's what the officials tried explaining.
Of course, you could go check out social media and see for yourself. It was an egregious call. But, it was a call that went down as a missed opportunity nonetheless. And, that particular moment would have made the Bears and this fan base sick to their stomach if the contest ended up in a loss.
We could also talk about the Bears' first two drives which ended in field goals. The second drive, in particular, stalled thanks to a 10-yard offensive holding penalty called on Colston Loveland. Prior to that penalty, Williams and the offense were in rhythm. The penalty completely killed the momentum and resulted in a field goal.
Read more: Jake Moody said what all Bears fans were hoping for after game-winning FG
Once more, there were multiple instances of each team shooting themselves in the foot and, in the end, it's Washington that has to deal with the bitter taste in their mouth, just as Aikman pointed out.