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Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff Writer
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — In the wake of Sunday’s stunning 18-15 loss to the Washington Commanders, several Chicago Bears captains spoke about player accountability while also questioning certain coaching moves after a 52-yard walk-off Hail Mary.
And while one player said Wednesday his criticism should have been kept “in-house,” he didn’t back down from the message.
“I mean, I’m not going to say sorry for what I said, but at the same time it is, it should have just stayed in house, but I said what I said,” wide receiver DJ Moore said.
Moore had wondered why the Bears elected to hand off to backup center Doug Kramer on a third-and-goal at the Commanders’ 1-yard-line with 6:21 left in the fourth quarter and Washington leading 12-7. Kramer had lined up in the backfield before but only to block. This was his first carry; he fumbled and Washington recovered.
“I don’t know the reason behind the playcall,” Moore said Monday morning on 670 The Score. “It’s been up for a few weeks, but I didn’t think we were actually getting it called in a game like this.”
Moore wasn’t the only one expressing frustration. One vivid memory of the Hail Mary was Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson taunting Washington fans for over 4 seconds before realizing the play was unfolding. All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson questioned why the Bears didn’t use one of their three timeouts to get situated and give themselves a better chance to defend the play.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus declined to say whether Stevenson will face consequences, like a benching. The Bears might not be able to afford another loss in the defensive backfield, as safety Jaquan Brisker has been in the concussion protocol since Oct. 7 and nickel corner Kyler Gordon hasn’t played since injuring a hamstring in Week 6. Both players were listed as nonparticipants on Wednesday’s injury report after the Bears held a walk-through.
“I’m not going to talk about Tyrique in terms of starting, not starting, all those things,” Eberflus said Wednesday. “But I will say this: Tyrique has made a lot of plays for this group and for our defense and for our football team over the last couple of years, and he’s going to continue to do that.
“We’re behind Tyrique, and we’re with him all the way, and again, we’ll work through this as we go.”
Safety Kevin Byard had also wondered why the play before the Hail Mary wasn’t better defended. The Commanders completed a 13-yard pass to Terry McLaurin that allowed him to get out of bounds in time to give Jayden Daniels a better shot at the final throw. Byard said he spoke with Eberflus on Monday about the play and questioned why the Bears didn’t press up their corners or send pressure.
“I trust those guys. I believe in those guys,” Eberflus said, adding the culture the Bears have established during his three seasons in Chicago empowers players to speak up. “We have that policy that, hey, it’s open communication.
“And if it’s done in the right way, with respect, and if it’s done in the right way in the theme of winning, about winning football, winning habits, then we’re all in for that.”
It wasn’t the first time this season that players expressed a desire to hold the coaching staff to the same accountability required of them. After stumbling to a 1-2 start, the leadership group on offense met with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron following a 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The message centered on Waldron’s approach with players.
“Don’t feel like you can’t coach us,” veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis said in September. “I want to be coached. I want to be great.”
From Lewis, the eldest captain at 40 years old, to quarterback Caleb Williams, the youngest at 22, the concept of the Bears being a player-led team is felt throughout the locker room.
“The better teams I’ve been on, the players lead,” Williams said Wednesday. “That’s what we have here.
“Something I go by myself is that [on] OK teams, nobody leads; good teams, the coaches lead; and great teams, the players lead.”
Johnson added: “It really just starts with being open to listen first and foremost. … Ultimately, it’s up to them to make the changes or to take what we’re saying.”
Eberflus said he understood the responsibility of his position.
“It’s all about accountability and execution, and that starts with me,” Eberflus said. “And the game didn’t finish the way we wanted it to, and again that starts with me.”
After their team meeting following their 1-2 start, the Bears responded with a three-game win streak. They’ll try to answer their latest challenge Sunday against a surprisingly good Arizona (4-4) team (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS).
“Now you really get to see if we can bounce back and really stay together,” Moore said. “That’s the biggest thing.”
Source: www.espn.com