The Chicago Bears not only lost to the Washington Commanders in a nail-biting, gut-punch of a defeat that sent them to 4-3 on the season, but they did so in the most brutal way possible after Jayden Daniels outdueled Caleb Williams and threw a game-winning Hail Mary that pushed Washington to 6-2.
While completing Hail Mary passes are half-luck anyway, perhaps the person most likely for this pass being completed is former second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson. If Stevenson had done his job properly, the Bears might just be sitting here with a 5-2 record and a road upset in the bag.
Instead of following wide receiver Noah Brown, which is what he was supposed to do, Stevenson was taunting Commanders fans while the play was going on. Bears fans had to point at the field to remind him the game didn't end yet. Brown caught a deflected pass, and the Commanders pulled out a win.
Stevenson apologized for a "lack of awareness and focus." While he will take notes and promises some improvement, Bears fans who just saw all of their positive momentum sucked right out of the building will likely not be very accommodating of a player who made an impossibly egregious blunder.
To Chicago and teammates my apologies for lack of awareness and focus …. The game ain’t over until zeros hit the clock. Can’t take anything for granted. Notes taken, improvement will happen. #Beardown
— Tyrique Stevenson (@dreamchaserTy10) October 28, 2024
Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson apologizes after taunting fans on game-losing Hail Mary
This game was a very mixed bag for Bears fans. On one hand, the defense mostly locked up a very explosive Washington offense for most of the game and had this win in the bag before the football Gods managed to step in. On the other, Williams took a step backward, entering the fourth quarter with just four completed passes.
In a division that is so competitive that Chicago is in last place with a 4-3 record, any slip-up could be catastrophic for the Bears' chances of contending in the division. Chicago still has not played any divisional games, which made getting this result even more important for this club.
The fact that Stevenson, a promising young player who looks like he's going to be around for the long haul, was the guilty party is a nasty development for Matt Eberflus and the rest of the roster. Stevenson knew immediately that he messed up in a very public way, which once again made the Bears look like a poorly overseen operation.
There will be better days ahead for Stevenson and the Bears, but they deserve every bit of this butt-kicking they have received from social media and NFL analysts in the last few hours and will get in the next few days. Stevenson's goof is the kind of mistake that can turn a season around for the worse.