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Behind the 2 plays that defined the last 9 months for the Chicago Bears, and led to Ben Johnson: Telander

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Published  July 22, 2025 11:31am CDT
Sports Commentary
FOX 32 Chicago

The Brief

    • Two pivotal plays—the Hail Mary loss to Washington and a trick-play touchdown by Detroit—symbolized the Bears’ 2024 collapse.
    • Tyrique Stevenson’s mental lapse and the defense’s failure on the "Stumblebum" play exposed poor coaching, discipline, and leadership.
    • Those moments not only led to Matt Eberflus’ firing but also opened the door for Ben Johnson, who used one of the plays to land the head coaching job.

CHICAGO - Two plays defined the Chicago Bears disastrous 2024 season and their future. The effects of the plays were both literal and symbolic.

It might seem hard to pin a 5-12 record, a last place finish in the NFC North, a single Pro Bowl selection (cornerback Jaylon Johnson), the mass firing of employees from head coach Matt Eberflus to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and even down to assistant tight ends coach Tim Zetts on a couple of plays out of hundreds. And, oh yes, great joy about seasons to come.

But that’s what we’re doing. Because that’s what happened.

Start with the play we’ll never forget: the Tyrique Stevenson-induced Hail Mary completion that gave the Washington Commanders an astounding, game-ending, 18-15 win. It was late October, the Bears were 4-2, seemingly on the move.  The odds of them winning the game were calculated pre-snap at about 98 percent. But nobody factored in brain vapor lock.

Video soon popped up showing cornerback Stevenson taunting the sideline crowd at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, his back turned to the play as the Hail Mary was unfolding behind him. Dear God, what was he doing?

Stevenson finally turned around and sprinted to the clot of players at the goal line, but he never got to where he was supposed to be, covering receiver Noah Brown in the end zone, the guy who made the 52-yard tipped-ball touchdown catch. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame it was only the seventh time in NFL history that a pass of that length won a game as time expired. Moreover, it was only the second time a rookie quarterback, this one Jayden Daniels, had done such a thing in over a half century.

Matt Eberflus, head coach of the Chicago Bears, watches first quarter action during a preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on August 22, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Bears fans will be shamed to know Brown’s gloves were quickly put on display in the Hall’s "Pro Football Today Gallery," as was the endzone pylon both Brown and Daniels signed. Symbolic? The Hall calls them "artifacts" in its official release. Like saints’ vestments or dinosaur bones.

Stevenson apologized online--"for lack of awareness and focus"—but the damage was done.

And that’s because it wasn’t just about him, as stupid and cocky as his actions were. It was also about the coaches who supposedly coach their charges. You mean there wasn’t a single one who didn’t drill into Stevenson the importance of playing till the final whistle? There wasn’t a head coach--Hello, Eberflus!--who didn’t crack the whip on those assistants, the men he’s supposedly in charge of? There wasn’t a single employee who didn’t know Stevenson, though talented, was a loose bolt? There weren’t any concerned teammates afield—leaders, we used to call them-- who didn’t yell, "Tyrique, get your ass over here!"

The ripple effect up and down the hierarchy at Halas Hall was overwhelming. The Bears were undisciplined, badly coached, clueless. They proceeded to lose ten straight games, tying a franchise record for pitifulness. The Hail Mary started it.

Then there’s the other play.

Head coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears looks on during Chicago Bears OTA Offseason Workout at Halas Hall on June 03, 2025 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images / Getty Images)

It came in the Lions late-December 34-17 wipeout of the Bears at Soldier Field. This was when everybody knew the Bears were dysfunctional, after Eberflus had been fired and interim coach Thomas Brown was at the helm, and Bears fans wondered if anyone or anything could help the Bears overcome their historic offensive putridness. The Bears were, of course, the franchise where quarterbacks went to die, the only team without a 4,000-yard single-season passer in NFL history.

Then came the "Stumblebum." On this infamous play, Lions quarterback Jared Goff took the snap, appeared to fall almost to the ground as running back Jameer Gibbs did indeed tumble to the grass, and then, straightening up, Goff launched a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide open tight end Sam LaPorta. It was called a trick play, but like all misdirection and well-faked plays it took scouting, skill, timing and performance to achieve.

The Bears got fooled, and maybe any team would have. But maybe not. 

The coach behind the play, then-Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, had seen something in his film study that made him feel the Bears were ripe for being suckered. He thought he could fool linebacker T.J. Edwards, who would be covering LaPorta. And he did.

Naturally, the Bears were desperate to get the now "genius" Ben Johnson as their new head coach, so he could lead them out of their endless murk.  And they paid a bundle and got him. Johnson later joked that if Edwards "hadn’t taken the cheese on that 'Stumblebum' play, I don’t know if I would have gotten this job."

To my eyes, it wasn’t a joke but fact.

So there are the two key plays from last season. They changed all. They symbolized much. Ponder them and marvel.

Dig deeper:

Enjoyed this article? Check out more from Fox 32 sports columnist Rick Telander:

The Source: This article was written by Rick Telander for FOX 32 Chicago.

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