<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0XdxHu_0wOyqVGA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0XdxHu_0wOyqVGA00" width="1920" height="1080" >LANDOVER, Md. – Elijah Hicks said the Hail Mary that handed the Bears a 18-15 loss was all a blur, one the safety simultaneously felt like lasted a long, long time.His memory was accurate on both fronts.There was Jayden Daniels sprinting back and forth, with a crush of bodies huddled in the end zone, and then a volley, a tip and a heartbreaking Bears loss.“Just from what I remember, it felt like that play was all day,” Hicks said. “The play took forever, I don’t know how long.”A reporter told him.17 seconds.“17 seconds?!?” Hicks said. “That’s crazy.”It really is. Jayden Daniels ran around for roughly 12 of them, trying to find time and space to send a ball down the field.He eventually did, launching a ball that came down near the goal line, was tipped by Tyrique Stevenson (more on him in a bit) and fell right to Commanders receiver Noah Brown, who was left uncovered in the back of the end zone.That decided a defensive struggle that transitioned to an furious offensive exchange between two good teams that ultimately decided this game.It was the only point of discussion in the Bears postgame locker room, as every defensive back on the field for the Hail Mary was asked about it. Everyone discussed it save Stevenson, who said he would talk on Monday.It’s important to note here that Bears players spoke without the luxury of watching video of the play, something most everyone reading this story has done.Jaylon Johnson didn’t mince words when discussing the main issue with the break down.“There should never be someone wide open in the back of the end zone,” Johnson said. “Plus, we just didn’t execute it well enough at the end of the day. I can’t say who was supposed to be there. I don’t know. But, at the end of the day, there should never be someone wide open in the back of end zone. We have to find a way to execute better down the stretch.”<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Jayden Daniels held onto the ball for 12.79 seconds on his game-winning 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Noah Brown, the first TD pass with a time to throw over 10 seconds in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016).<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CHIvsWAS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CHIvsWAS</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaiseHail?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RaiseHail</a><a href="https://t.co/I2mj2wn1hg">pic.twitter.com/I2mj2wn1hg</a>— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) <a href="https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1850685595506397271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote>The execution was ultimately lacking. The Bears rushed three and couldn’t catch Daniels, though there were multiple non-calls on a hold and a block in the back. T.J. Edwards was essentially a quarterback spy. The Bears had Jaylon Johnson and Tremaine Edmunds on Terry McLaurin while the receiver tried to find space in front of the goal line.Everyone else was back, covering Brown, Zach Ertz and Luke McCaffrey. Safety Kevin Byard III said he was supposed to be the jumper on the ball, going up high to knock the ball incomplete, and the Bears were supposed to form a triangle around him.Stevenson appeared to be arguing with someone off the field when the ball was snapped — Brown was the wide receiver on his side — but got there in a rush and tipped it, sending it four yards backward to Brown.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">From this video, it looks like Tyrique Stevenson was looking away from the field when the ball was snapped. <a href="https://t.co/oP3wFSUWg7">https://t.co/oP3wFSUWg7</a>— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottBairNFL/status/1850703401731940712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote>Byard jumped to knock it down, but Stevenson’s tip sent it over his outstretched arm.“In that scenario, I’m supposed to be the jumper, to jump and tip the ball down, but I was standing back there and everyone was piling up,” Byard said. “It was hard to get an angle and a running start. By the time the ball’s in the air, you’re fighting to get position and the ball got tipped up in the air and obviously their back guy ended up making a play. We didn’t execute the way we needed to.”Head coach Matt Eberflus said the Bears have practiced that play a ton but didn’t sync up when it mattered most.“We’ve practiced that play a hundred times since we’ve been here,” Eberflus said, via The Athletic. “I have to look at what the execution was of that, but we have a body 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 have a back-tip guy that goes behind the pile. Again, I’ve gotta look at it and detail it out and make sure we’re better next time.”While there were other plays missed that impacted the game, Johnson emphasized that the Bears must stand tall in the biggest moments.“It all comes down to that play and executing in that time,” Johnson said. “We can all go back and say there were plenty of times where we could’ve won the game, but, at the end of the day, no other play had more intensity, more on the line than that play. We have to find a way to come out on top.” </div></body>

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What Jaylon Johnson, Bears defenders said about decisive Hail Mary in loss to Commanders

LANDOVER, Md. – Elijah Hicks said the Hail Mary that handed the Bears a 18-15 loss was all a blur, one the safety simultaneously felt like lasted a long, long time. His memory was accurate on both fronts. There was Jayden Daniels sprinting back and forth, with a crush...