'Fail Mary' backlash still hurts Bears' Tyrique Stevenson - ESPN

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — One year removed from the costly play that defined his second season with the Chicago Bears, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson said the backlash he received for his role in tipping a Hail Mary pass against the Washington Commanders «still hurts.»

«It was harsh,» Stevenson said. «It hurt my feelings. That's the best way I can explain it. It just hurt my feelings being a football player and having one of those mistakes that's going to linger around. Even when my son grows up, I've got to explain that to him.

»It definitely hurt. But just use it as fuel."

The Bears were seconds away from beating the Commanders in Week 8 last season after Caleb Williams led the offense down the field to score a touchdown and convert a 2-point attempt with 27 seconds remaining.

When Washington lined up for the final play of the game, Stevenson was facing the opposite direction while jawing with fans in the stands at Northwest Stadium.

Once Stevenson realized the Commanders had snapped the ball, he sprinted toward the back of the end zone and inadvertently tipped the ball into the hands of Washington wide receiver Noah Brown.

The Commanders won 18-15 en route to reaching the NFC Championship Game. The loss for Chicago, meanwhile, marked the first of 10 straight for the Bears, who fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and coach Matt Eberflus along the way.

Stevenson apologized in a team meeting the following day. Though he was backed by teammates for owning up to his mistake, not everyone was quick to move past the blunder.

«They gave me support,» Stevenson recalled Wednesday. «Being honest, I got a couple side-eyes. But that comes with, like I was saying on the [Bears safety Kevin Byard's] podcast, this is what we do for a