Seasoned gamblers have a rule: Never talk about a wager mid-wager.
Readers of this site understand all too well that the jinx is real. Anyone who has ever gambled on a game knows that, as soon as they mention outcomes being a forgone conclusion, as soon as you even think about how you’re going to spend the money from that “winning ticket,” things fall apart.
Someone should probably tell that to Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
Lost in the shuffle of one of the most exciting and unlikely plays in the NFL this season, a battle between two of the game’s brightest young quarterbacks came a blunder by of game-changing proportions.
Moments earlier, Stevenson’s Bears had just been given a new lease on life, all but gifted the game. Having fumbled the ball on the goal line minutes before, inexplicably handing the ball off to a lineman and not a more experienced ball carrier, the Bears defense held strong and forced the Commanders into turning the ball over on their subsequent possession, giving Chicago one final chance to seal the game.
This was, after all, not only a fight for playoff position but a battle to see which quarterback might have a leg up for Rookie of the Year, and more significantly, the chance to see which team made the right draft pick. Was Caleb Williams the right choice at number one or should Chicago have given Jayden Daniels a closer look?
The Bears scored, then went for two. Williams was brilliant and effective on that final drive. Chicago took a 15-12 lead with 25 seconds left on the clock. Only a miracle could save Washington.
A miracle is what they got.
Moments later, Daniels pulled off a Hail Mary for the ages, what some media outlets have called Hail Mary(land), the game was played in Landover, or Hail to the Chief, implying the Commanders have finally found their leader. Daniels scrambled around untouched and un-tackled for nearly 15 seconds, looking for his spot, then launched a sixty-yard bomb into the hands of his receiver for the unlikeliest of wins, one that sent the Washington (Maryland) crowd into a tizzy and one that had coach Dan Quinn happier than he was back when his Atlanta Falcons were beating the Patriots 28-3 at halftime.
Prior to the reception heard round the capitol, a fan posted a video that immediately went viral of one man woefully unprepared for the moment and celebrating a tad too early.
The video was of Tyrique Stevenson. It wasn’t a good look.
After the ball was snapped, the play ongoing, Stevenson was seen taunting the Commanders crowd, far away from the action despite being one of the men targeted to defend it. It should not shock you all that Tyrique hails from the University of Miami.
As soon as Stevenson saw that the play was in progress and that Daniels was scrambling to make something happen, realizing he was nowhere near any offensive player that Daniels could throw to, Stevenson ran to the scrum to attempt to bat down the ball and end the game.
That’s the exact opposite of what happened.
Obviously, we’re not paid athletes but rather professional couch potatoes with a blog, but most of us are aware that when Hail Maries go up, the defender’s job is not to attempt to catch the ball but rather to bat it down to the ground. Stevenson failed to do that. In fact, after an off-balance, ill-prepared leap, he deflected the ball right into the hands of Noah Brown. It was Brown’s first touchdown of the year. The home crowd went wild. Game Washington.
The pit inside his stomach looming as large as the Windy City he disappointed, Stevenson has since apologized, posting this on social media:
“To Chicago and teammates, my apologies for lack of awareness and focus. The game ain’t over until zeros hit the clock. Can’t take anything for granted. Notes taken, improvement will happen. #Beardown.”
All is not lost for Bears fans although they have a new player to hate, depending on how well they accept apologies. This is, after all, a town that sent Bartman into lifelong hiding.
At the end of the day, Caleb Williams will be just fine, and Daniels probably would have won Rookie of the Year anyway. His won’t be the last Hail Mary to rip the hearts out of unsuspecting fans and hopefully, for long-suffering Bears fans, Stevenson will learn from his mistakes.
He better, otherwise the next bone-headed video of him that goes viral will be his last as a professional football player, or at least as a member of the Chicago Bears.
Matt Eberflus had money on Washington? Nothing else explains this…
And in Jacksonville, Pederson is pissed.
He’s still waiting to cash his future as first coach fired yet, despite his best efforts, the kid still has a job.