Athletes and coaches must walk a fine line when speaking about a disastrous loss. It is important to acknowledge the mistake without publicly reprimanding anyone, so as to keep locker room morale at a reasonable level going forward. Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus stood by his team, but fans would have liked him to personally accept a bit more accountability for a specific play in Sunday's heartbreaking loss.

Right before the Washington Commanders pulled off one of the more incredible Hail Marys in modern NFL history, the Bears surrendered a 13-yard reception to Terry McLaurin. The defense surprisingly stayed downfield and left the boundaries completely open for quarterback Jayden Daniels to utilize. The standout rookie, who had been pushing through a ribs injury, did not even reach the end zone on the game-winning heave, so there is no way he could have made a worthwhile pass from more than 60 yards out.

If Chicago had been more sensible and potentially stymied McLaurin's crucial catch, then Washington would likely have been forced to employ some type of lateral play to end the game. Although there were plenty of other head-scratching decisions that took place in side Northwest Stadium, the squad's questionable strategy went a long way in securing the 18-15 loss.

Evidently, though, Eberflus does not believe the penultimate play holds much weight in the grand scheme of things. “And them throwing the ball for 13 yards or 10 yards or whatever that is doesn't really matter,” the Bears' defensive play-caller told the media. “It's always going to come down to that last play.”

Needless to say, the soundbite perplexed people. “That’s one of the five dumbest things I’ve heard a human being say in any context,” Mike Greenberg said on Monday's edition of ESPN's “Get Up,” via Clay Harbor.

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Greenberg's statement could be disproved by the end of the week, given what is said on television these days. Hyperbole aside, however, Eberflus inexplicably buried himself in a pit of bad optics. There is no denying the impact that his overly conservative scheme had on the outcome of this Week 8 showdown.

The Hail Mary is fluky by nature, and that is especially true for the Commanders' successful attempt, but it is a coach's job to protect against the unimaginable. Eberflus inadvertently offered his sinking opponent a life raft, which came in handy for Washington just an agonizing minute later. Following such a brutal sequence, fans only want to hear contrition and regret.

Although Chicago should have survived this blunder (cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was completely unprepared before the Hail Mary), the coaching staff cannot afford to make such costly miscalculations. The Bears (4-3) must learn from their mistakes, both during and after the game, before they visit the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9.