It happened. You know the one. That sickening arc of the ball through the Maryland sky that seemed to take forever to land. If you’re a fan, the Chicago Bears Hail Mary against the Washington Commanders in late 2024 isn't just a highlight reel clip; it’s a core memory of the "same old Bears" variety.
Sports can be cruel.
One second, the Bears were celebrating a gritty, hard-fought comeback fueled by a Roschon Johnson touchdown that put them up 15-12 with only 25 seconds left on the clock. The next? Complete and utter chaos. Jayden Daniels, the Commanders' rookie sensation, scrambled for nearly 13 seconds—an eternity in NFL time—before launching a prayer from his own 35-yard line.
It shouldn't have worked. It almost never works. But as the ball descended toward a scrum of players at the goal line, it didn't hit the turf. It hit the hands of a leaping Bears defender, tipped perfectly into the air, and fell right into the waiting arms of Noah Brown.
Game over. Heart broken.
The Anatomy of a Meltdown
Let’s be real for a second: the Chicago Bears Hail Mary wasn't just about a lucky bounce. It was a systemic failure of focus and coaching. The most damning image from that entire sequence wasn't even the catch itself. It was cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
While Jayden Daniels was literally snapping the ball and starting the play, Stevenson was seen on fan footage facing the stands, taunting Commanders fans. He had his back to the play. He was waving his arms, caught up in the high of a "guaranteed" win, completely oblivious to the fact that the ball was live. By the time he realized what was happening, he was trailing the play. In a cruel twist of irony, it was Stevenson who jumped and provided the "tip" that sent the ball backward to Brown.
That’s the thing about the NFL. You can play 59 minutes and 58 seconds of solid football, but if you lose your mind for those last two seconds, the internet never lets you forget it.
Head coach Matt Eberflus took a massive amount of heat for the defensive alignment too. Why were the defenders playing so far back? Why wasn't there more pressure on Daniels to force a quicker throw? When you give a dual-threat quarterback that much time to wander around the backfield, you're basically asking for a miracle to happen against you.
Why This Play Felt Different
Usually, a Hail Mary is just a fluke. You tip your cap and move on. But this specific Chicago Bears Hail Mary felt like a turning point for the 2024 season. It exposed cracks in the locker room culture that fans had been worried about for years.
Winning teams stay disciplined.
The Bears, at that moment, looked like a team that didn't know how to win yet. Caleb Williams had struggled for three quarters before finding a rhythm late. The defense had been the backbone of the team all year. To have the defense be the unit that crumbled—and specifically due to a lack of effort and focus—felt like a punch to the gut for the city of Chicago.
Honestly, the stats on these plays are wild. Since 1960, Hail Mary passes (defined as throws of 40+ yards into the end zone at the end of a half) complete at a rate of roughly 2% to 3%. You have better odds of hitting a single number in roulette. Yet, the Bears found themselves on the wrong side of that 3% because they broke the golden rule of "prevent" defense: Don't let the ball get behind you, and for the love of everything, don't tip it into the middle of the field.
Breaking Down the Coaching Decisions
Critics like former NFL quarterback turned analyst Dan Orlovsky pointed out that the Bears' coaching staff made several "pre-snap" errors.
- They didn't put a "spy" on Daniels, which allowed him to roam horizontally and gain a better throwing angle.
- The three-man rush was too passive.
- The "jumpers" at the goal line weren't positioned to swat the ball down to the ground.
In a Hail Mary situation, the goal isn't to catch the ball. It’s to kill it. You treat the football like it’s a grenade. You want it away from everyone. By jumping to contest the catch rather than just batting it into the turf, the Bears defenders actually helped the Commanders.
The Aftermath and Tyrique Stevenson’s Response
To his credit, Stevenson didn't hide. He apologized. He admitted he got caught up in the moment. But in the NFL, apologies don't fix your record. The Bears went into a tailspin shortly after that game. It’s hard to quantify "momentum," but you could see the air leave the balloon.
The media cycle was relentless. For a week, every sports talk show from 670 The Score in Chicago to ESPN's national broadcasts ran the clip of Stevenson taunting the crowd on a loop. It became a teaching tape for every high school coach in America on why you play until the whistle.
Comparing This to Other Bears Heartbreaks
If you've lived in Chicago long enough, you have a mental filing cabinet for these things.
- The Double Doink (Cody Parkey’s missed field goal against the Eagles).
- B.J. Raji’s pick-six in the NFC Championship game.
- Aaron Rodgers finding Randall Cobb on 4th and 8 in 2013.
Does the Chicago Bears Hail Mary rank as the worst?
Maybe not in terms of stakes—it wasn't a playoff game—but in terms of "preventable stupidity," it’s right at the top. The Double Doink was a technical failure. The Hail Mary was a psychological one. That’s why it stings more. It suggests that the team wasn't mentally prepared for the situation, which falls squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff and the veteran leaders in that secondary.
The Caleb Williams Factor
We also have to talk about what this did to Caleb Williams' narrative. Up until that final play, the story was going to be about how the rookie phenom overcame a miserable start to lead a game-winning drive. He showed poise. He made the throws when they mattered.
Instead, his heroics were erased.
This is the hidden cost of a play like that. It robs young players of the confidence-building "W" they earned. Instead of talking about Caleb’s growth, the Monday morning headlines were all about defensive lapses and coaching incompetence. It changed the vibe around the facility from "we're arriving" to "we're lucky to be here."
How to Fix a Hail Mary Defense
If you’re a coach watching that tape, you change your philosophy immediately.
- Assign a "knocker": One player's sole job is to stay on the ground and wait for the tip.
- Pressure the QB: You cannot let a quarterback hold the ball for 12 seconds. Someone has to force a throw before the receivers can get set in the end zone.
- The "Wall" Technique: Defenders should stand a yard into the end zone to ensure any tip falls in front of the goal line, not behind it.
The Bears did none of these things effectively. They were static. They were flat-footed. They were, quite simply, watching the game instead of playing it.
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Moving Forward: Lessons for the Franchise
The 2024 season will always be remembered for that moment, but the real test is how a franchise responds to such a public embarrassment. For the Bears, it meant tightening up internal discipline. It meant players holding each other accountable for things as small as pre-snap celebrations.
It’s easy to blame Tyrique Stevenson, but football is a game of eleven men. If the pass rush had gotten home, the throw never happens. If the safeties had boxed out Noah Brown, the tip doesn't matter.
Actionable Steps for Football Fans and Analysts
If you want to truly understand the impact of the Chicago Bears Hail Mary, don't just watch the broadcast angle. Go find the "All-22" film or the sideline fan-cams.
- Watch the clock: Notice how long Jayden Daniels has to move. It’s a lifetime.
- Track the personnel: Look at where the Bears' best ball-hawks were positioned. Many were grouped too closely, leaving gaps in the "rebound" zone.
- Observe the sideline: The reaction of the coaching staff says a lot about the confusion that reigned in those final seconds.
For those betting on NFL games or playing fantasy football, this play is a reminder that "prevent" defenses are often the most dangerous time for a lead. It’s why many modern defensive coordinators are moving away from the "rush three, drop eight" strategy in favor of keeping the quarterback uncomfortable, even on the final play.
Ultimately, the Chicago Bears Hail Mary serves as a permanent reminder that in the NFL, the game is never over until the clock hits zero and the ball is on the ground. For Chicago, it was a lesson learned the hard way—one that might just define the era of this current roster.
To prevent this in your own analysis or coaching, always prioritize the "grounding" of the ball over the interception. In a Hail Mary situation, a turnover is irrelevant; an incomplete pass is a victory. The Bears forgot that, and they paid the ultimate price in the standings. Moving forward, the focus must remain on situational awareness—knowing exactly where the ball is, what the time is, and why your back should never be turned to the line of scrimmage when the game is on the line.