Tyrique Stevenson returns this week to the scene of his worst moment as an NFL player, and he is working hard to get over that incident.
The Chicago Bears cornerback took the brunt of the criticism after he and his teammates allowed Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels to complete a 52-yard Hail Mary as time expired to steal an 18-15 victory last Oct. 27.
When the play began, Stevenson had his back to the action, taunting the fans. He subsequently got involved in the action and accidentally tipped the ball to receiver Noah Brown, who made the winning catch.
The Bears return to Washington to play the Commanders on Monday night.
“Going back to a hostile environment, they’re going to do their best job to rattle me as much as they can,” Stevenson said. “The best thing I can do is come out here and show (my teammates) I’m locked in and ready to go.”
Stevenson credited the other Chicago players with helping him most past the blunder.
“They gave me support,” Stevenson recalled on Wednesday. “Being honest, I got a couple side-eyes. But … this is what we do for a living. This is who we are in some cases. And the best thing we can do is go out there and make great plays.
“I put a bad play on film. The best thing they could do was come around and put their arm around me and be like, ‘We got you.’ That’s what they showed me all last year.”
The play, which came to be dubbed the “Fail Mary,” helped sink the Bears’ season. Chicago was 4-2 entering that game, but the defeat was the first of 10 in a row for the Bears. They won their finale to finish 5-12.
Fan anger over the slump focused on Stevenson.
“It was harsh, it hurt my feelings,” Stevenson said. “That’s the best way I can explain it. It just hurt my feelings being a football player and having one of those mistakes that’s going to linger around. Even when my son grows up, I’ve gotta explain that to him. It definitely hurt.
“But just use it as fuel.”
Chicago is 2-2 this year, having won its past two games. Stevenson has a team-high five passes defensed to go with one interception and 19 tackles.
