"It was terrible": Bill Belichick blasts Bears' Tyrique Stevenson for trash talking during Commanders' Hail Mary play
Tyrique Stevenson instantly paid for his trash-talking to fans during the Washington Commanders game. With just a few seconds left on the clock, the ball was in the Commanders' possession. Jayden Daniels scrambled with the ball, looking for an open target. But he couldn't find any near him.
Then, he sent the ball flying from near the 40-yard line toward the endzone. The ball bounced off the hands of the players gathered near the endzone and landed on Noah Brown's hands ... and touchdown!
However, another incident was playing out a little distance away. CB Tyrique Stevenson was trash-talking with fans when Jayden Daniels threw the ball. He then ran towards the ball but to no avail. The Hail Mary succeeded and the Commanders had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
Bill Belichick, on the latest episode of the "Pat McAfee Show," criticized Stevenson for his lack of mental presence in the game.
"Obviously, this is a ridiculous play by Stevenson. He has no idea what's going on. Just runs over there and jumps up and volleyballs in the air for a game-losing play. It was terrible."
Bears HC Matt Eberflus had also expressed his disappointment after the game and said that the cornerback was supposed to “box out" Brown during that crucial play. Instead, he handed them a victory in a game that was almost theirs.
Tyrique Stevenson apologizes for his blunder on the gridiron
Tyrique Stevenson, after the game, apologized for his actions to both the fans and his teammates for his blunder. He said that he was sorry for his lack of focus while the game was still on.
"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."
Former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick sided with Stevenson and said that mistakes happen and he should take ownership of his error and then move on.
The Bears will take on the 4-4 Arizona Cardinals next week. They're now 4-3 instead of 5-2 thanks to Stevenson's blunder. Having learned his lesson, it is unlikely that the cornerback would take his eyes off the ball again.