With one second remaining and sitting at the Packers' 34-yard line, the Bears called a play they'd practiced before -- a designed lateral that can either wind its way down the left sideline or reverse course through improvisation. The Bears chose the latter when were forced to "ad lib," as quarterback Mitchell Trubisky put it.
Trubisky threw a quick strike 13 yards over the middle to running back Tarik Cohen, who pitched back to Trubisky on the left side to gain five more yards. Trubisky then tossed a lateral to tight end Jesper Horsted on his right, who moved nine yards up to the Packers' 7-yard line.
But it was there that Horsted missed his opportunity to pitch to his right, where receiver Allen Robinson was flanking him with open space waiting to the end zone ahead. The ball came loose amid a desperate heave from Horsted, and the Packers recovered at the 2-yard line.
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In the aftermath, Horsted explained that he initially believed he had path to the end zone. By the time Packers defensive back Chandon Sullivan wrapped him up from behind, he didn't have time to recognize Robinson for the pitch.
"When I got the ball, the first thing I looked downfield and saw a little bit of daylight, but I knew realistically I wasn’t running that ball in from the 10 or 15. Was hoping to get a few steps.
"I knew I had a guy on the outside, wanted to get it out there in hindsight. Probably should have got there a little earlier, but it was moving quickly. It was a little bit hard to see exactly what was going to the right when I was focused on straight ahead and left."
With that one second on the clock, Bears coach Matt Nagy believed the lateral play was his team's best chance at the end zone. He wanted to catch the Packers off guard as they looked for a Hail Mary.
"The guys almost made it happen," Nagy said. "It's close. It could've happened on that final play."
On the previous play, the Bears also nearly scored as Trubisky's heave to the end zone deflected off a Packers defender and nearly into the hands of receiver Riley Ridley. The Bears still would've needed to convert a two-point conversion for the tie if they had scored a touchdown on the final play -- and then win in overtime.
Back on Sept. 15 in Denver, the Bears beat the Broncos, 16-14, when Eddy Pineiro kicked a game-winning field goal with one second remaining.
With one second remaining in Green Bay on Sunday, the Bears came up just short.