DETROIT — With 36 seconds remaining, trailing by three factors after placing collectively a livid second-half comeback, the Chicago Bears have been in place to tie or defeat the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
However late-game clock mismanagement assured the Bears wouldn’t get the possibility to finish a come-from-behind victory in opposition to their division rival. As time ran out on Chicago to solidify a sixth consecutive loss in a 23-20 defeat, coach Matt Eberflus defended his choice to not name a timeout within the closing moments of the sport.
“We’re at 36 seconds proper there and our hope was, as a result of it was third [down] going into fourth [down], that we’d rerack that play at 18 seconds, throw it inbounds, get it in area purpose vary after which name a timeout,” Eberflus mentioned.
Upon getting the ball again at Detroit’s 1-yard line with 3:31 to play, the Bears ran 13 performs earlier than going through second-and-20 from the Lions’ 35-yard line. Quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked for a 6-yard loss with 32 seconds remaining as Detroit defensive finish Za’Darius Smith went untouched to deliver the rookie down.
As a substitute of calling a timeout forward of what grew to become Chicago’s closing play whereas going through third-and-26 from Detroit’s 41-yard line, the Bears let the clock wind down. About 10 seconds handed earlier than Williams frantically alerted the offense to get lined up for a move play, and the ball was not snapped till there have been six seconds remaining.
Williams launched a deep ball to rookie large receiver Rome Odunze that bounced off the turf contained in the 5-yard line as time expired.
“I knew after we snapped the ball that the [clock] was going to expire, so I used to be attempting to get to the top zone,” Odunze mentioned “We simply did not get an amazing protection for it. Shifting ahead, I am going to know what I have to do to get there.”
When requested postgame how the Bears ought to have managed the ultimate sequence looking back, Eberflus doubled down on the crew’s late-game operation.
“I like what we did there,” Eberflus mentioned. “Once more, as soon as it is below seven [seconds], you are going to name a timeout there — really below 12 after which actually you do not have an possibility as a result of it is third to fourth, it’s a must to throw it into the top zone then.
“To me it is — I believe we dealt with it the proper method, I do consider that you just simply rerack the play, get it in bounds and name timeout, and that is why we held it and did not work out the way in which we needed it to.”
Twenty-six seconds elapsed from the time Williams was sacked to when the ball was snapped on the ultimate play. The quarterback had known as a timeout earlier within the drive however intimated that he was not in place to take action once more, which led him to vary the play with 13 seconds remaining to take one closing shot.
“I made an adjustment as a result of I noticed the clock working down, figuring out that if we full a ball inbounds or something like that, we can’t have time to kick a area purpose or something like that,” Williams mentioned. “So, I made an adjustment and knew Rome was both going to be one-on-one or he was going to beat the protection and be one-on-one there and I attempted to provide him a shot and we obtained the shot and missed.”
Kicker Cairo Santos would have been in place to kick a 58-yard area purpose on the ultimate play, however Eberflus mentioned the Bears have been out of area purpose vary. Santos’ profession lengthy is 55 yards, which he has made twice (2020 on the Carolina Panthers, 2023 on the Minnesota Vikings). However the kicker’s latest ups and downs, together with blocked 48-yard area objectives in back-to-back video games in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers and Minnesota (together with kicking a area purpose to ship the Bears to additional time in Week 12), may need factored into Chicago’s choice to get nearer to the top zone earlier than sending out its kicking unit.
Santos, who was warming up on the sideline, didn’t anticipate the ultimate moments to unfold the way in which they did.
“I did not see that taking place,” Santos mentioned. “We rehearse these situations, and I think about myself kicking that. I do know we wish to play for the win, however I simply sort of think about myself no less than getting a shot there.”
Contemplating the Bears’ plan was to run a play as soon as the clock hit 18 seconds to get into area purpose vary, Eberflus was additionally requested why he did not name a timeout at that second upon seeing that the ball had not been snapped.
“As soon as it will get below 12 [seconds], you bought to carry onto it then,” Eberflus mentioned.
Eberflus pinned the Bears’ failures on the “entire operation” however defended Chicago’s communication within the closing 36 seconds.
“We have been all on the identical web page there, we simply should do it a bit bit higher,” he mentioned.
The loss drops the Bears to 4-8. In accordance with ESPN Analysis, since turnovers have been first tracked in 1933, the Bears are the primary crew to go on a six-game dropping streak with out committing a number of miscues in any of these video games. The Bears have misplaced 4 video games this season determined by three or fewer factors, which is tied with the Jets for probably the most within the NFL and tied for probably the most such losses in a season in franchise historical past (1983 and 2015).
A number of Bears gamers have been shocked {that a} timeout was not known as.
“I rapidly see everyone come on the sphere and the sport is over,” tight finish Cole Kmet mentioned. “So, I used to be like, ‘What the eff simply occurred?’ The sack occurs. By the point I rotated, Caleb was just about on the bottom. We simply obtained to discover a strategy to not take a sack there, and sadly the clock retains working and I’m certain the thought course of was then to have the ability to get some yardage after which take the timeout after which kick the sphere purpose. However we have been just a bit too late on that.”
Extensive receiver DJ Moore, who logged a team-high eight catches for 97 yards and a landing, expressed related disbelief over how the sport ended.
“I imply, you are identical to, ‘What the hell?’ Nah, it is like, ‘What the bleep’ however it’s what it’s,” Moore mentioned. “It is not it’s what it’s, however we have to discover a strategy to win. We maintain coming again in these video games and be having time to truly win the sport and we simply s— the mattress.”
After being outgained by 226 yards, gaining one first down and being shut out within the first half, the Bears thundered again from a 16-point deficit starting with a 74-yard landing drive to open the third quarter. Williams led the Bears on three landing drives within the second half, alongside the way in which setting a franchise rookie report for passing touchdowns at 15.
Thursday’s loss extends Eberflus’ report to 5-19 in one-score video games, the worst mark by any coach with no less than 20 such video games in NFL historical past.
“It was robust,” large receiver Keenan Allen mentioned. “I really feel like we did sufficient as gamers to win the sport.”