CHICAGO – The Chicago Bears need to make sure that a heartbreaking loss doesn’t turn into a lost season.

A team that finished with a three-game winning streak is now reeling after falling 18-15 on a Hail Mary touchdown in Washington on Sunday.

Between the offense’s inability to get going late in the game, some scratchy play calls and a huge mental lapse by cornerback Tyrique Stevenson at the end, it all added up to a rough afternoon.

“When you lose, your initial feeling, like anybody, is to want to deflect the blame or point the finger somewhere else,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “But look, I finished watching the tape – I watched the tape five or six times – we as players didn’t play well in that game.”

Caleb Williams and the offense struggled most of the game before finding a rhythm. The fact that Chicago came out flat and some reversed play calls put the coaching staff in the spotlight.

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (86) and Chicago Bears tight end Tyrique Stevenson (29) go for a Hail Mary pass that Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) caught for a touchdown on the final play Sunday, October 27, 2024, in the Northwest

The Bears trailed 12-7 in the fourth quarter when they led at the 1. They opted to hand the ball off to offensive lineman Doug Kramer, botched the handoff and Washington recovered.

Chicago took its first lead when Roschon Johnson scored from the 1 with 25 seconds left. But instead of a narrow victory, they came away with a brutal loss.

Stevenson was captured on social media waving to the crowd and turning his back as the Captains snapped the ball on Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary to Noah Brown. But on the previous play, with 6 seconds left and the Washington 35, the Bears opted not to defend the edge. That allowed Terry McLaurin to go out of bounds and stop the clock on a 13-yard reception.

“If you’re going to play defense on the edge, what they’re going to do is turn into a Hail Mary there and get everybody off the edge,” Eberflus said. “Then you have to pick them up from the sidelines and do the same job you’re going to do in Ave Maria. For me, we wanted to bring them into the discussion, so as not to give them too much away. down the field, which was up to 48, and then we sat down for the Hail Mary at the end.”

what’s up

Red zone defense. The Bears could have been blown out had the defense not held up in the red zone. The Chiefs drove inside the 20 on three of their first four drives, only to settle for field goals each time.

Which needs help

Pass protection. The offensive line was already a sore spot before the Washington game. The Bears then lost LT Braxton Jones in the first half with a knee injury, and guards Teven Jenkins (knee) and Bill Murray (chest) exited in the fourth.

Williams was sacked twice, bringing his total to 22. He is tied for second in the NFL with Houston’s CJ Stroud and Las Vegas’ Gardner Minshew, despite playing in one less game.

Supply

RB D’Andre Swift. Swift continued his streak of big performances, rushing for 129 yards on 18 attempts. His 56-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was Chicago’s longest since Justin Fields’ 67-yarder against Detroit in Week 10 of the 2022 season — and the longest by a Bears running back since 80 David Montgomery’s yards against Houston in the week. 14 in 2020.

Swift has rushed for 386 yards and four touchdowns in the last four games. He also has 147 receiving yards in that span, though he didn’t catch a pass against Washington.

Stock down

Stevenson apologized to his teammates during a meeting Monday for his mental lapse. Beyond that, Eberflus said he should beat Noah Brown. Instead, he went up for the pass, and Zach Ertz tipped the ball upfield for an uncovered Brown to catch in the end zone.

injury

Eberflus said Montez Sweat (shin) was ruled out and was unable to return for the final play of the game. He had no update on Sweat or the three offensive linemen.

Key numbers

15 – The Bears had 15 first downs compared to Washington’s 23 and were outgained 307 yards to 481.

Next steps

The Bears will try to shake this one off before visiting the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.