'That's a hard way to lose' – Bears HC Matt Eberflus reacts and breaks down game-ending Hail Mary vs. Commanders
The Chicago Bears just lost in the toughest way imaginable against the Washington Commanders on the final play that overlooks the stout game by the defense and wild offensive comeback Chicago attempted to put together.Unfortunately, nothing matters until the clock hits zero, and that's exactly what happened as Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' Hail Mary […]
The Chicago Bears just lost in the toughest way imaginable against the Washington Commanders on the final play that overlooks the stout game by the defense and wild offensive comeback Chicago attempted to put together.
Unfortunately, nothing matters until the clock hits zero, and that's exactly what happened as Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' Hail Mary ended with a walk-off touchdown for the Commanders against the Bears.
"Obviously, the guys are disappointed," head coach Matt Eberflus said after the game. "When you lose a game like that, that's a tough one to swallow. It comes down to that last play and we practice that play 100 times since we've been here… That's a hard way to lose."
The reaction was equal from quarterback Caleb Williams, who led the team on a go-ahead score just seconds before the game-winning play by Washington.
"It's a heart wrenching play to have," Williams said. "We practice it, trust me, we practice it. Sometimes things just don't go your way. It's tough when it's something like that."
With a play like a Hail Mary, there's a lot that goes into it for both sides and a lot that gets missed during the event. For example, the Bears only rushed three players with what looked to be a spy on Daniels. After the game, the reporters in the room asked Eberflus why the team didn't send more pressure at the quarterback on the final play.
"That is an option, no doubt," Eberflus added. "I've seen people do that, we have that, but again we chose to do the three-man rush. I think [Daniels] had it for over 12 seconds. I'm not sure what happened back there in terms of blocking and getting after it. T.J. [Edwards] adds in a little bit on it too because he's got the running back. But, like I said, execution."
After the game, Matt Bowen, a 7-year NFL veteran, also called the Bears' personnel layout in the endzone into question. Here was Eberflus' explanation on how his players lined up to defend the final pass.
"We have a body on a body boxing guys out like basketball," Eberflus explained. "We have one guy that's the rim that knocks the ball down, we got a back tip guy that goes behind the pile, so again I gotta look at it and detail it out and make sure we're better next time."
Ultimately, it's a tough way to lose a game for sure but the Bears can't be caught hanging their heads after tonight's loss.
"I think it's having a strong mind and a strong conviction of who you are," Eberflus said. "I mean, this is one game, right. When you lose on the last play, it's gunna hurt. But let's go back and look at the tape and get better from this. And that's what we always do, that's what we're going to do here."
The Bears will look to turn the page on this disappointing loss tomorrow to begin getting set for their next game against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Bears’ defense came one play shy of bailing out Chicago’s struggling offense vs. Commanders in Week 8
Unfortunate ending for an otherwise great game.
