Lost in the firing of Matt Eberflus following another embarrassing moment in the Chicago Bears' loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had another moment that highlighted Eberflus' lack of discipline.
Stevenson was consistently beaten on their first three drives which resulted in points scored by Detroit. After his initial struggles in coverage on Thursday, the Bears seemingly benched Stevenson in favor of Terell Smith. After the benching, Stevenson was also seen tripping Lions' wide receiver, Jameson Williams, which resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Williams for flipping the football and hitting Stevenson's face in retaliation.
Ahhhh. So this is why Jamo got so upset & threw the ball at Tyrique’s face.
— Kirsten Tanis (@kct2020) November 30, 2024
Stevenson is lucky the flag went his way on Jamo’s response. Could have been flagged & tossed for this.
If only he focused more on doing his job & less on making questionable decisions. His poor… https://t.co/8ZPA5nwa0Q
Williams is extremely talented but has been suspended for both gambling and drugs, while charges against him for carrying a concealed weapon were recently dropped. There is a question of maturity with him within the Lions organization much like Stevenson is facing with the Bears ever since the Hail Mary game. Stevenson is lucky that his tripping did not result in an injury, a brawl or a flag being thrown against him.
It is fitting that Stevenson, who caused the downfall of this once-promising season, continues to struggle on the field and is the example of Eberflus' lack of accountability was a huge problem and how much he had lost this team since the Hail Mary loss.
The next five games will be an important test for Stevenson. As Thomas Brown looks to install some form of accountability within the hall of Halas Hall, Stevenson will be a player that could be tested the most. The same antics Stevenson had earlier this season likely will not be allowed in the same form it was under Eberflus.