Tyrique Stevenson's taunt backfires as he tips a Hail Mary straight to the Commanders for a touchdown
Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had a rough moment on Sunday, taunting fans only seconds before his team gave up a Hail Mary touchdown, ultimately losing 18-15 to the Washington Commanders.
In a video circulating on social media, Stevenson can be seen facing away from the play, gesturing to the stands with his arms raised as the ball was snapped. By the time he turned around, he was too late to stop Zach Ertz from tipping the ball up, allowing Noah Brown to make the game-winning catch in the end zone.
Tyrique Stevenson celebrated a bit too soon on Sunday, but he quickly acknowledged the error.
The blunder, already bad enough in the game’s final seconds, drew further criticism once the video went viral. Stevenson didn’t speak to reporters after the game, and Coach Matt Eberflus wasn’t directly questioned about the incident.
Later, Stevenson took to social media to apologize, saying: “To Chicago and teammates my apologies for lack of awareness and focus …. The game ain’t over until zeros hit the clock. Can’t take anything for granted. Notes taken, improvement will happen.”
The Bears, fresh off a bye, saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
“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 commented.
“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.”
The Bears had another shot to pull ahead in the fourth quarter, coming just one yard shy of the lead.
Doug Kramer Jr., a backup lineman in jersey No. 68, took his spot in the fullback position, officially eligible for the play, as the Bears set up for a third-and-goal with just under six minutes left.
Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams took the snap, handed it off to Kramer, but in an instant, the ball was loose, scooped up by Commanders defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton.
“It’s the play we’ve worked,” Coach Eberflus noted. “We’ve just got to do it better.”
He added, “It’s just wedge blocking. You’re on the 1-yard line. You got a big guy getting the ball. We’ve practiced it a lot.”
Williams, who ended the day with 10 completions from 24 attempts for 131 passing yards, expressed confidence in the play, saying he felt “100 percent” comfortable with it. However, he was ultimately credited with the fumble.
When asked again if he stood by the logic behind the call, Eberflus simply replied, “It’s a 1-yard play.”
But with fumbles like this and the potential for a season spiraling, the Bears may need to take a deeper look inward to prevent more setbacks.
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Image Credit: © Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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