The NFL got exactly what it wanted when it flexed the Bears vs. Commanders game into the late window. The Chicago Bears almost completed an impressive second-half comeback against the surging Washington Commanders. Unfortunately, they gave up a touchdown on a Hail Mary as time expired and lost the game 18-15.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus was obviously asked about the Hail Mary that lost the game for Chicago. Eberflus tried to give a diplomatic answers, but it still sounded like he threw his players under the bus with his response.
“Down to that last play, and we've practiced that play 100 times since we've been here,” Eberflus said during his postgame press conference. “I'll have to look at what the execution was with that, but we have a body up on a body, boxing guys out like basketball at the very end. We have one guy that's the rim that knocks the ball down. We've got a back tip guy who's behind the pile. So again I've got to look at it and detail it out and make sure we're better next time.”
To be fair, the players do deserve the blame for giving up this play. The Hail Mary is named as such because it has a low percentage of success. Everyone in the building knows what you want to accomplish, which makes it very easy to defend.
One player who came under fire was Tyrique Stevenson, who was seen taunting the Commanders fans in the stands during the play instead of actually playing defense. It is unknown if his responsibility on the play caused the touchdown, but it was not a good look regardless.
“That's a hard way to lose,” Eberflus continued. “But I was proud of the way the guys battled all the way through.”
Bears' Jaylon Johnson gets brutally honest on giving up Hail Mary touchdown to Commanders
One Bears defender, cornerback Jaylon Johnson, was not pleased about the final play of the game.
Johnson had a critical assessment of his unit's execution of the most important play in a tight game.
“There should never be somebody wide open in the back of the end zone. Plus we just didn’t execute it well enough at the end of the day. I can’t tell you who was supposed to be there. I don’t know. But at the end of the day, there should never be anybody wide open in the back of the end zone. We’ve all got to find a way to execute better down the stretch,” Johnson said via ESPN's Courtney Cronin.
This was an unusual way for the Bears to lose against the Commanders. Chicago's defense has been the most consistent part of the team through the first half of the season, so it is strange to lose with your team's best unit on the field. This is especially true, and inflicts more psychic damage on a fanbase, when losing on a Hail Mary.
Next up for the Bears is a Week 9 matchup against the Cardinals in Arizona.