(670 The Score) One of the stupidest NFL games in recent memory ended in a way we won't forget for a very long time.
Jayden Daniels scrambled around for a place to set his feet with his Commanders down three and zeroes on the clock. His desperation heave to the goal line was tipped into the hands of Noah Brown for the winning touchdown, and in a blink the improbable Bears escape wasn't to be.
The Commanders were better than the Bears for almost the entirety of Sunday afternoon, and the 18-15 score in their favor felt earned, if we're being honest with ourselves.
Promoted to the late afternoon CBS window for the eyes of the nation, this was unwatchable for well over two hours, a disconnected slog of field goals and penalties in which neither team seemed worthy of the attention. Caleb Williams was terrible, bobbling a snap on the first drive, missing open receivers high, low and behind, forgetting where the first-down marker was and checking to inopportune plays at the line. His offensive coordinator was doing him no favors, either, failing to scheme receivers open behind a patchwork line that lost two more starters.
But there was D'Andre Swift hurtling and hurdling down the field, there was a defense still bending but not breaking enough to allow touchdowns, there was Williams pulling himself together in the fourth quarter to make throws both gutsy and creative.
And my goodness, the punter. Tory Taylor's individual effect on the game was enormous, as impactful as one can imagine it can be from that position.
But no team should win a game when it decides to try a handoff to a backup center for his first career rushing attempt. Not in a conference game on the road, not in that situation in anything that counts, ever. There's zero justification for it. The Williams/Doug Kramer fumble is the kind of mishap that gets people fired.
Meanwhile, the Bears came out of their two-week break reverting to old mistakes and bad habits. Their eight penalties included pre-snap hiccups and post-whistle composure issues, and Matt Eberflus again failed to challenge a completed pass that merited a much longer look. What's more, the game ended with all three of the Bears' second-half timeouts unused. Not burning more time before the late Roschon Johnson touchdown run was a choice.
So was the defense on the final play, with no designated safety playing behind the landing spot of the Hail Mary pass. The ball is expected to be tipped, and there should never be an uncovered receiver like that. The Bears played well enough on that side of the ball, until they just didn't.
This one stings most because of the shock of the ending, but attention to that will temporarily distract from plenty of serious issues for the Bears. The offensive line is a mess, play-calling is again suspect and Jayden Daniels is better than Caleb Williams right now. Such a substandard performance out of the bye week would've been wallpapered over by a victory.
As the Bears try to pick up the pieces and salvage their postseason chances before the start of divisional play, try this for a thought exercise: imagine if that were a playoff game.
Dan Bernstein is the co-host of the Bernstein & Harris Show on middays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on 670 The Score. You can follow him on Twitter @Dan_Bernstein.