(670 The Score) The Hail Mary heave was on the hands of Bears receiver Darnell Mooney, a potential catch that would’ve delivered Chicago a thrilling third straight win. He couldn’t hold on.
In the Bears' heartbreaking 20-17 loss to the Browns on Sunday, Mooney lost his grasp of a deflection in the end zone as he was falling backward to the ground on the final play of the game, and the football instead popped into the hands of Cleveland safety D’Anthony Bell. It capped a collapse by the Bears, who squandered a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.
“It was tough,” Mooney told reporters. “It would’ve been crazy. But definitely tough. I mean, how many times do you see a Hail Mary working and actually fall to being able to make a catch? It’s tough. I wish I could’ve had it.”
Trailing by three with no timeouts and 32 seconds remaining, the Bears set up their Hail Mary attempt thanks to a 30-yard completion from quarterback Justin Fields to rookie receiver Tyler Scott, who snuck by several defenders along the sideline before stepping out of bounds. The Bears advanced to the Browns’ 45-yard line, which was outside of range for a game-tying field-goal attempt from kicker Cairo Santos.
The Browns had taken the lead with 32 seconds remaining on a 34-yard field goal by kicker Dustin Hopkins. That field goal was set up by tight end David Njoku breaking free in coverage for a 34-yard reception on a third-and-15 play.
The end of the game wasn't the first time Sunday the Bears were just out of Santos' range, as they faced a similar situation at the end of the first half. From the Browns’ 37-yard line, the Bears chose to attempt a Hail Mary, which resulted in an interception. Coach Matt Eberflus explained the 54-yard attempt was been outside the range of Santos, who would’ve been kicking into a difficult wind.
The Bears fell to 5-9 with their loss and saw bleak playoff hopes take a significant hit.