Bear Digest

Tyrique Stevenson feels happier for having had 'Fail Mary' moment

The Bears cornerback on a podcast called the devastating Hail Mary pass for the game-deciding points against Washington last year bad "karma" and feels he's benefiting from it.
Gene Chamberlain|
Tyrique Stevenson recovers a fumble in the Bears' 25-24 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Tyrique Stevenson recovers a fumble in the Bears' 25-24 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson never really opened up very much about his feelings regarding the Jayden Daniels Hail Mary pass last year, and what it meant in regards to his career.

Then he did a podcast with his teammate, Kevin Byard.

In a week when the Bears are facing the Commanders again and returning to the scene of their "Fail Mary" play, Stevenson said he refuses to let his gaffe on the Hail Mary pass define him. Yet, he also says he's "wearing it like a jacket."

"I'm starting to believe I'm happier in having that moment," Stevenson told his teammate, the starting Bears safety. "You know I would have never changed. I would have never changed, and we'd still be having the same conversation we had when you first got here—you seeing the potential in me."

He maintains he's a different player, improved if not more mature, as a result of going through that experience.

What a cost, though. He made the mistake of not paying attention like he should have been, and admitted to Byard he was "talking to the stands." However, he didn't necessarily admit he was hollering at Commanders fans or was cheering with Bears fans, which he maintained he was doing after that game.

What difference did it make who he was hollering at, though? It distracted him and he came back and tipped the ball instead of guarding Noah Brown, who then caught the game-winning deflection.

"I think that, right there, was a selfish moment and I think it's karma," Stevenson told Byard. "I think karma was the correct explanation I've got for it because I wasn't living right. I wasn't living right that day, that week, that mindset. Whatever it was that week, it came back to bite me."

Stevenson forever seems to be hitting an epiphany. After that, he played reasonably well but had a horrendous game against Detroit this season with a worst possible passer rating against of 158.3 when targeted. Then he came back with the big strip of the football from

Javonte Williams in the Bears' win over Dallas and had a strong game against the Raiders.

Who knows whether he's going to have another turning point moment this week? They just seem to happen so often for him.

"At the end of the day I want that to be a memory in my head of what not to do," Stevenson said.

No doubt, at the end of the day there are lot of Bears fans who wish it wasn't a memory in their heads. And some other people would probably say the same, like probably Matt Eberflus for one.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.