'I let the moment get too big' – Tyrique Stevenson finally shares his thoughts on Bears' loss to the Commanders in Week 8
It's time for the Chicago Bears to put the devastating loss in Week 8 behind them and move on, but not before learning from the mistakes that were made.The biggest one was obviously the one that ended the game for the Bears and allowed the Washington Commanders to escape with a win.The main culprit in […]
It's time for the Chicago Bears to put the devastating loss in Week 8 behind them and move on, but not before learning from the mistakes that were made.
The biggest one was obviously the one that ended the game for the Bears and allowed the Washington Commanders to escape with a win.
The main culprit in the blame game for the final play that ended with a walk-off Hail Mary touchdown was cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who tipped the ball back to wide receiver Noah Brown after Stevenson was seen talking to fans before the play.
On Monday, the second-year cornerback addressed the entire team and met with the team leaders, letting everyone know that he felt responsible for how the game ended.
"I apologized for letting them down," Stevenson told reporters. "I let the moment get too big… It's something that can't ever happen again and won't happen again."
Head coach Matt Eberflus said on Monday that Stevenson's response showed "responsibility and accountability" and that any repercussions for Stevenson's actions on Sunday will be handled in-house.
On the play, Eberflus revealed that veteran safety Kevin Byard was supposed to be the tip man, not Stevenson. The young cornerback was instead supposed to box out Brown on the play but let the moment get too big instead.
"It's great to have passion and I think it's great to have that great enthusiasm for the game, but it also comes to a point where your emotions go over the top and then you lose focus," Eberflus said on Monday. "You gotta have that balance if you're that type of player that plays with great intensity, like Tyrique does."
It's a tough result for the team as a whole, but it's still early in the year and a moment like this can be used as a learning experience for everyone, not just Stevenson.
"[He] said what he did was unacceptable, said he's gotta be on the Ps and Qs there," tight end Cole Kmet added. "It's a good lesson for everybody to learn from how to respect the game."
In the aftermath of the play, it's nice to see Stevenson's teammates helping pick him up again while the rest of the world attacks him for the decision that was made. He's a young player who's still learning and a key starter the team will need going forward.
"I know Tyrique has been getting hammered by social media and obviously being in meetings, but I'm going to support my guy," Byard added. "I think for him, it's going to be a great lesson as we go forward throughout the season. Just how to be able to handle adversity and you only lose when you don't learn."
Wise words from the two team captains.
Matt Eberflus doubling down on questionable late game decisions against the Commanders is making him look even worse
Not a good look for the head coach.
