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The Chicago Bears lost in devastating fashion to the Washington Commanders in Week 8 on a Jayden Daniels Hail Mary. The ball was tipped, popped up and landed in wideout Noah Brown’s hands as time expired. The incredible walk-off win dropped the Bears to 4-3 on the season.
Far worse than the loss itself is what it revealed about the Bears and their head coach Matt Eberflus. Chicago tight end Cole Kmet went in on his team, and by extension, his coaching staff, following the deflating defeat. The fifth-year veteran said the coverage on the Hail Mary exemplifies how the Bears don’t respect the game, according to Chicago Sports Network’s Alex Shapiro on X.
Kmet went on to say that the team also needs to respect practice more as players were “laying off” during Chicago’s preparation for Week 8, per Shapiro.
Kmet wasn’t the only Bears’ player expressing disapproval over the team’s execution. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson was critical of how Chicago covered Washington’s Hail Mary.
The Commanders, led by their excellent rookie quarterback, are a formidable opponent, so there’s no shame in losing to the team. But the manner in which the Bears lost is a terrible look for Eberflus, who’s in his third season with Chicago and has yet to produce a playoff appearance or a winning record.
The Bears appeared to have their fifth victory of the season wrapped up. Running back Roschon Johnson broke the plane on a one-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds remaining in the contest. After a successful two-point conversion, Chicago had a 15-12 lead. The clutch 10-play, 62-yard drive felt like a gritty, game-winning performance that would help define the Bears’ season.
While this game could end up defining Chicago’s season, it’s not the team’s late, go-ahead drive that will be remembered.
Cole Kmet calls out Bears’ lack of effort
The Commanders got the ball back at their own 24 yard line with less than 20 seconds and one timeout. But multiple blunders helped bring about one of the most improbable wins in NFL history.
The Commanders were able to pick up a crucial 13 yards on a pass to Terry McLaurin. The Bears were playing preposterously soft coverage, essentially surrendering a chunk gain along the sideline.
That completion made the Hail Mary possible, as Daniels could attempt the throw from around midfield. However, after the game, Eberflus inexplicably told reporters that the play didn’t matter, insisting, “It was always going to come down to that last play.”
Eberflus, deservedly got dragged for the clueless comment. ESPN’s Mike Greenberg called it one of the five dumbest things he’d ever heard anyone say. But the Bears’ embarrassments don’t stop there.
Just prior to the Hail Mary attempt, Chicago cornerback Tyrique Stevenson could be seen taunting the crowd in Washington. He only stopped when he realized the ball had been snapped and he had to scramble into position to attempt to break up the pass. That attempt, of course, was in vain. Stevenson was actually the Bears’ player that tipped the ball… into the hands of Brown. The second-year defensive back apologized after the game, acknowledging that he shouldn’t have taken the win for granted.
It will take a while before the Bears recover from this gut-punch of a loss. A loss that looks increasingly bad for Eberflus and the coaching staff as more is revealed.
