DETROIT — With 36 seconds left in the game and the Chicago Bears trailing the Detroit Lions by three points, the Bears had a chance to tie or win in their Thanksgiving Day matchup. However, questionable clock management ultimately sealed a 23-20 defeat and extended Chicago’s losing streak to six games.

Despite the outcome, head coach Matt Eberflus defended his late-game decisions, insisting the team handled the situation appropriately.

The Final Drive

The Bears began their final possession at the Detroit 1-yard line with 3:31 remaining, running 13 plays to reach the Lions’ 35-yard line. On second-and-20, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked for a six-yard loss with 32 seconds remaining as Lions defensive end Za’Darius Smith broke through unblocked.

Instead of calling a timeout, the Bears let the clock run. Williams scrambled to line up the offense, but the next snap came with only six seconds left. His deep pass to rookie receiver Rome Odunze fell incomplete near the 5-yard line as time expired.

“I knew when we snapped the ball, the [clock] would run out,” Odunze said. “I was trying to make it to the end zone, but we didn’t get the coverage we hoped for.”

Eberflus’ Decision Under Scrutiny

After the game, Eberflus defended his strategy. “Our hope was to get the play off at 18 seconds, throw inbounds, get into field goal range, and then call a timeout,” Eberflus explained. “Once it gets under 12 seconds, your only option is to throw it to the end zone.”

Critics pointed out that 26 seconds passed between Williams’ sack and the final snap, with no timeout called during that span. Kicker Cairo Santos could have attempted a 58-yard field goal—three yards longer than his career best—but Eberflus said the team believed they were out of range.

“We rehearsed scenarios like this,” Santos said. “I was ready to kick, but I didn’t expect it to play out like that.”

Player Reactions

The chaotic final moments left several Bears players puzzled. Tight end Cole Kmet described the ending as baffling: “I turned around, and the game was over. We just needed to avoid the sack and manage the clock better.”

Wide receiver DJ Moore, who had eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown, expressed frustration. “We keep coming back in these games and having chances to win,” Moore said. “And then we just blow it.”

A Pattern of Narrow Losses

Thursday’s defeat was the fourth game this season the Bears lost by three or fewer points, tied for the most such losses in the NFL. According to ESPN Research, the Bears are the first team since 1933 to endure a six-game losing streak without committing multiple turnovers in any game.

Despite their struggles, the Bears rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit, with Williams leading three second-half touchdown drives. The rookie quarterback also set a franchise record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie (15) during the game.

Still, Eberflus’ record in one-score games now stands at 5-19—the worst in NFL history for any coach with at least 20 such games.

Looking Ahead

Eberflus took responsibility for the overall execution but maintained confidence in his approach. “We were all on the same page,” he said. “We just need to execute better.”

As the Bears fall to 4-8, fans and analysts are questioning whether changes in strategy—or leadership—might be necessary to turn the season around.

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With six seconds left and positioned on their own 35-yard line, the Commanders were out of timeouts. They were too far from the end zone for Daniels to throw a Hail Mary right away, so their goal was to get closer and stop the clock by stepping out of bounds. For the Bears, the objective was simple: tackle the Commanders in bounds and end the game.

However, the Bears went with a prevent defense, leaving a large portion of the field open. Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin capitalized, catching a pass from Daniels and stepping out of bounds after a 13-yard gain—a play that took only four seconds. The strategy was so predictable that Tony Romo, commenting on the play, even sketched McLaurin’s route on the telestrator just before the snap. After the play, Romo explained how this move kept the Commanders’ hopes alive.

“That gives them a chance now because they couldn’t have reached the end zone on a throw before,” Romo remarked.

With that opportunity, the Commanders successfully launched the game-winning Hail Mary. So, why did the Bears leave this gap? Bears coach Matt Eberflus offered his reasoning:

“Because you’re defending the touchdown, right? You’re defending the touchdown there. And them throwing the ball for 13 yards or 10 yards, whatever that is, doesn’t really matter. It’s always going to come down to that last play,” Eberflus explained, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

But, in reality, those 13 yards did matter—they moved the Commanders close enough to make the Hail Mary feasible. Had the Bears played a regular defense, they might have tackled McLaurin in bounds, effectively ending the game.

Eberflus’s defensive strategy failed not only in the Hail Mary but also on the play that set it up. This pivotal decision ultimately gave the Commanders the chance they needed to secure their dramatic win.

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