Did Karma do the Bears in?
Video posted to social media showed Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson taunting the Commanders crowd seconds before Jayden Daniels launched a Hail Mary pass toward the end zone that lifted Washington to a dramatic 18-15 win.
Stevenson could be seen pointing and jumping around as the ball was being snapped before finally turning his attention to the play that was developing around him.
In a pure sense of irony, Stevenson ended up being the one to ultimately tip the last-ditch effort pass that wound up in the hands of Commanders’ receiver Noah Brown.
“To Chicago and teammates my apologies for lack of awareness and focus,” Stevenson wrote on social media apologizing for his actions. “The game ain’t over until zeros hit the clock. Can’t take anything for granted. Notes taken, improvement will happen.”
“It comes down to that last play and we’ve practiced that play a hundred times since we’ve been here,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said, according to the Associated Press. “I’ll have to look at what the execution was on that, but we have a body on a body, boxing guys out like basketball at the very end. We have one guy at the rim that knocks the ball down. We’ve got a tip guy that goes behind the pile. I’ve got to look at it and detail it out and make sure we’re better next time.”
Daniels’ miraculous throw came in the dying minutes of the game as the rookie QB dropped back into the pocket.
He rolled to his right before coming back the other way, stepping forward and heaving the ball toward the end zone.
The ball tipped off the hands of Stevenson, who was in the middle of Commanders and Bears players, and right to Brown.
“When you lose a game like that, that’s a tough one to swallow,” Eberflus said. “Was excited how they battled back to have a chance to win that game.”
The Bears will attempt to reestablish their winning streak, which was snapped at three games by the loss on Sunday when they face the Cardinals in Week 9.